Boise police to pay to fix bullet holes in homes

GARDEN CITY, Idaho – After officers fired 22 shots at a fleeing man without hitting him, Boise and Garden City police departments say they’ll pay nearly $7,000 to repair bullet holes in homes that were hit during the wild confrontation.

According to insurance claims filed with both departments by residents of a Garden City neighborhood, shots fired by four officers in pursuit of 39-year-old Harlan Hale hit doors, windows, window moldings, garage doors, an all-terrain-vehicle and a clothes dryer. No one was injured in the March 9 chase.

Garden City is a town of about 11,000 residents surrounded by the city of Boise.

The shots came as police tried to apprehend Hale, who had been the target of a manhunt after he was accused of shooting at two Boise police officers during a traffic stop on Feb. 28.

He was arrested March 9 less than a mile from the neighborhood. After a short car chase, Hale drove through a back yard and over a shed before crashing his car into an irrigation canal.

A Boise police officer then fired about 10 times at Hale as he lay in the weeds before surrendering, according to police reports.

Hale was armed at the time, but investigators do not believe he fired at officers. He is scheduled to go on trial Sept. 28 in 4th District Court on felony charges of one count of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, one count of using a firearm in the commission of a crime, one count of felony eluding and one count of possession of a controlled substance.

Police say Hale also is being investigated in a home invasion robbery in Twin Falls that occurred hours before the vehicle he was riding in was pulled over by Boise police in February.

Boise police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower said officers followed proper procedure in use of force to stop Hale, whom they considered to be a threat to themselves and the public. Formal investigations into the shootings are still under way by both police departments.

Insurance adjusters with the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program, which administers Garden City’s insurance coverage, are asking the city of Boise to pay a majority of the $6,693 damage claim filed by homeowners. Adjusters say Garden City has settled with three of the four homeowners who have filed claims for bullet damage, and Boise city officials say they will pay their share.