Police say man fired shot into ground after being shocked

A man attempting to escape police on a bicycle fired a shot from a handgun Wednesday when he was stunned with an officer’s Tazer, according to a Coeur d’Alene Police report.

The suspect, Joseph Frederick Hartley, 29, had fled in a car on Tuesday, causing a minor accident when Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls police were trying to serve him with a protection order, according to the report from Sgt. Christie Wood.

Police ended Tuesday’s chase quickly, fearing more – and more-serious – accidents, Wood wrote.

Based on Tuesday’s incident, detectives obtained a warrant for Hartley with a $100,000 bond for felony eluding.

Warned that Hartley might be armed, officers from Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho State Police surrounded the house at 1009 C St. in Coeur d’Alene about 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Hartley, who was inside, was contacted by telephone and told to come out and cooperate, Wood wrote. Instead, he ran out the front door, jumped on a bicycle and pedaled toward an officer, according to the statement.

“The officer deployed his Taser at the same time that Hartley was reaching into his pants pocket,” Wood reported. “Officers heard a shot fire and realized Hartley had had his finger on the trigger of his gun” when he was shocked.

The bullet went into the ground.

Hartley was arrested on the warrant and also charged with aggravated assault of a police officer. Police say they found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in his possession.

“It ended very well and we are really fortunate no one got hurt by this individual,” said Capt. Ron Clark of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.