Trooper in fatal shooting on paid leave
State police, FBI investigating incident
LEWISTON – State police Capt. Lonnie Richardson said a trooper who shot a man to death and critically wounded another after a high-speed chase in North Idaho has been placed on paid leave.
In a statement Tuesday, Richardson said the unidentified trooper will be on administrative leave during an internal investigation into the May 18 shooting of Randall Vernon Ellenwood, 50, and Ricardo Daniel Rodriguez, 37.
Ellenwood died at the scene.
Authorities say the chase started with an attempted traffic stop and ended when the men got out of the vehicle and confronted the officer.
The FBI is investigating the shooting because the chase began on the Nez Perce Reservation and the men who were shot are tribal members.