Man uses shotgun to stop pickup

A Bayview homeowner shot the tire and radiator of a pickup Tuesday evening as the driver repeatedly drove over and damaged the man’s yard, fence and other property.

Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies responded to an 8:30 p.m. call from residents who said that someone was driving through their yard at 35220 N. Collins Road.

According to the crime report, Monte L. Cook and his wife, Katherine Cook, reported hearing an engine revving outside their home. When Monte Cook went out to investigate, he saw a truck that appeared stuck in the dirt driveway.

Cook told deputies that the driver ignored his questions, staring straight ahead. Cook said the driver then backed into a utility trailer on the property, plowed over a decorative fence and hit a dog kennel before becoming stuck.

At that point, Cook told his wife to call 911 and get his shotgun.

He shot out the driver’s side front tire, but the driver continued to try to get away, hitting the fence again, reports say. Cook told deputies he then began throwing rocks at the truck to get the driver to stop.

When that didn’t work, Cook shot into the grille to stop the truck, reports say.

Cook said he never aimed at the driver.

“I didn’t want to harm this man but wanted to keep him from leaving,” he told the deputies.

Cook still shouldn’t have shot at the truck, said Kootenai County sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger.

“Call the cops. Stay out of the way,” Wolfinger said. “It’s not legal to use deadly force on a property crime.”

He said prosecutors will decide whether to charge Cook.

By the time deputies arrived, a 1992 Ford Ranger was immobilized in the middle of the road with a shot tire and multiple shots into the front grille and radiator.

The driver was gone, and nothing indicated that anyone had been injured in the crash or gunfire.

Deputies continue to look for the registered owner of the truck, Rolf Cervin, of Bayview.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department at (208) 446-1300.