Two police officers hurt, Meridian suspect killed in Boise Bench shootout

BOISE – A man who traded shots with Boise police Friday afternoon was declared dead on arrival at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise police Chief Bill Bones said Friday evening.

The man is believed to be Marco Romero, sought since Tuesday in connection with a shooting injuring two people in Meridian.

Two BPD officers also were shot during the incident. One was being treated in the St. Al’s emergency room Friday evening, the other was in surgery, Bones said. The officers have not been named.

And a BPD police dog, Jardo, was shot and taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

Jardo, a Belgian malinois, joined the department in 2013. He is trained to track and apprehend dangerous criminals.

Garden City police are the lead agency investigating the shooting as part of a Critical Incident Task Force.

Treasure Valley law enforcement agencies had been searching for Romero since Tuesday.

Romero, 33, a recent parolee, was sought in connection with a Tuesday shooting in Meridian that injured two people. Meridian police said Romero also may have been the man who stole a Mercury Sable from an 89-year-old woman Thursday at a retirement community in Meridian.

According to Boise police, a search began about 1 p.m. in the local neighborhoods.

At about 3:25 p.m., many shots were reported fired in an alleyway. Two police officers and the suspect were injured. It’s unclear how many shots were fired and who fired them.

During the search, police were in communication with residents in the area through a reverse 911 system. That notification asked residents to stay inside and to report any suspicious activity to 911.

It appears, however, that not everyone is signed up for the city’s notifications or got them.

Ebony Jorgansen, who lives nearby, said she did not receive any notification on her cellphone of there being a dangerous suspect in her neighborhood. She doesn’t have a landline.

She said a police officer used her garbage can to set up crime scene tape to block access to a street. When she popped out the door to talk to her, the officer advised her to stay inside her house.

Resident Jeff Sele said he was talking with someone on the street when shots rang out.

“I heard guns and shotguns, it sounded like to me. You can definitely tell the difference between a gun and shotgun blast. It happened real fast … It was 10 to 12 shots, and then it was done.” Sele has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years and has been home recovering from back surgery. “It’s usually a pretty quiet neighborhood.”

The incident Friday was the third police shooting in the Treasure Valley in 24 hours. Ada County sheriff’s deputies shot a 72-year-old Melba man Thursday night after a chase leading from Canyon County to southern Ada County. Caldwell police on Friday shot a man suspected of attempting to break into a home.

Only one Boise police officer has been killed in the line of duty. Officer Mark Stall was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Sept. 20, 1997.

Idaho law enforcement officers have fatally shot five other people this year.

Last year, Idaho police shot and killed seven people, tying the 2007 record.