Man shot by Coeur d’Alene police Wednesday morning expected to recover

Coeur d’Alene police officers shot a man early Wednesday morning after receiving reports that he had a gun and was suicidal.

The man, whose identity has not been released but was described by police as being in his 20s, was transported to Kootenai Health, where police say he is “expected to recover,” according to a news release. He was shot at least once after refusing commands from police.

At about 12:30 a.m., officers responded to a report of a suicidal male at an apartment complex on the 2400 block of North A Street in north Coeur d’Alene. When they arrived, they said a woman exited an apartment and a man followed.

The man didn’t listen to verbal commands, police said, and began “rapidly approaching officers,” according to the news release. Believing he had a gun, officers shot him with a bean bag round, but it had “little apparent effect.”

At least one officer fired his service weapon, striking the man once in the left shoulder, according to a police scanner.

After the shooting, police rendered aid before the man was transported to the hospital.

The Idaho State Police is the lead agency in the investigation. Police said the man’s name and the identities of the officers involved will be released later.

Wednesday’s shooting is the third involving North Idaho law enforcement this year, and the second involving the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

On Feb. 27, Officer Charles Hatley, who had graduated from the academy only two months prior, was shot through his duty belt by 34-year-old Curtis B. Ware. Officers returned fire and killed Ware. Hatley was released from the hospital a day later.

A week later, on March 5, two Sandpoint police officers, Michael Hutter and Eric Clark, suffered gunshot wounds after responding to a call in the Ridley Village area of Sandpoint. Both officers are expected to make a full recovery. The shooting suspect, Brandon Kuhlman, was killed during the exchange of gunfire.