Officer Suspended For Shooting At Car Teen In High-Speed Chase Had Slowed Down Before Shots

An Idaho Falls police sergeant, who was recognized as the department’s supervisor of the year last week, has been disciplined for improperly firing at a fleeing car.

“We felt it was an unjustified shooting,” acting Police Chief Gary Hagen said.

Sgt. Richard Anderson has been suspended without pay for two weeks to be followed by a six-month period of probation, Hagen said.

No one was injured in the May 9 incident just a few blocks east of the city’s downtown where Anderson shot at the car, striking the left rear wheel well.

A day later, Anderson was honored at the awards banquet sponsored by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce.

The 17-year-old driver of the car was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and felony eluding after trying to evade police and sheriff’s deputies in a chase that began in Ucon. The teenager ran numerous stop signs, reaching speeds of up to 105 mph as he ran several officers, including Anderson, off the road in near head-on collisions, police said.

But at the time the shot was fired, the car was making a turn and had slowed to 10 mph or less, Hagen said. The driver stopped the car following the shooting after circling the block, the police report showed.

Aggravating the situation was Anderson’s failure to report the shooting, Hagen said.

At least three Bonneville County sheriff’s deputies, who were involved, also did not report it, Sheriff Byron Stommel said. Two were given verbal warnings and a shift supervisor, whom Stommel did not identify, was suspended for a day.

Stommel said he thought the pursuit was handled “extremely well,” but the deputies should have reported the shooting even if Anderson chose not to.

The driver of the car was wanted for twice escaping from the Bonneville County courthouse in February, once from the custody of a bailiff and once from the custody of a volunteer guard in juvenile holding cell.

Prosecutor David Johnson has petitioned the court to try the teenager as an adult.