An Idaho police officer killed a man in his backyard on Monday after mistaking him for a suspect the authorities were looking for and who they believed to be armed, officials said.
The Washington Post reports that Idaho Falls police were looking for Tanner JN Shoesmith, 22, when a police officer who was tracking him shot a man who partially fit his description.
The man shot dead has not yet been identified, the Post reports, and his family has requested that his name not be made public.
The officer who shot the man in his backyard has been placed on administrative leave and the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force (CITF) will be conducting an investigation into the incident.
According to a declaration of Idaho Falls police, the incident started when a policeman tried to stop traffic. After pulling over, a man fled the car on foot and was described as wearing a black T-shirt.
While searching for the man, police identified him as Shoesmith and discovered that there were several arrest warrants against him, including criminal assault and two no-show warrants.
Shoesmith reportedly shared his GPS location with someone else in the car he escaped from, which the police used to track him. After determining that Shoesmith was located in a nearby yard, the police approached and surrounded the residence.
As they approached the yard, the police reportedly heard screams and saw a man in a black shirt holding a gun. Police officers told the man to drop the gun, according to the statement.
“Currently, we don’t have the answers as to what exactly happened during those moments,” said Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson. “We know that during this interaction, an Idaho Falls police officer fired his service weapon, firing a shot that hit the man. Police officers tried to save lives but were unsuccessful. The Idaho Falls Fire Department’s emergency medical team also responded and was also unable to provide any help to save the man’s life. “
After the unidentified man was shot, the police saw another man running nearby. Shoesmith was found in the shed of a nearby residence and was arrested. The entire incident, from the traffic stop to Shoesmith’s prison, took about 20 minutes, according to the Idaho Falls Police.
“There are no words to express how heavy our hearts are today,” said Johnson. “This situation is terribly tragic for the family, for the officer and for those who love and care about them. We all feel the weight of what happened today. Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the people involved, especially the family of the deceased ”.