A police officer in Idaho shot a man dead in his own backyard on Monday after mistaking him for a suspect that authorities were looking for and who they believed was armed, officials say.
The Washington Post reports that Idaho Falls police officers were looking for Tanner JN Shoesmith, 22, when an officer following him shot a man who partially matched his description.
The man who was fatally shot has yet to be identified, the Post reports, and his family has requested that his name not be made public.
The officer who shot the man in his backyard has been placed on administrative leave and the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force (CITF) will be conducting an investigation into the incident.
According to a statement The Idaho Falls Police Department began the incident when an officer attempted to stop a traffic. After pulling over, a man fled from the car on foot and was described in a black T-shirt.
While searching for the man, police officers identified him as Shoesmith and found that there were multiple arrest warrants, including a felony battery and two arrest warrants.
Shoesmith reportedly shared his GPS location with another person in the car he was fleeing from, which police officers then used to track him down. After determining that Shoesmith was in a nearby backyard, police approached and surrounded the property.
Approaching the backyard, officers reportedly heard screaming and saw a man in a black shirt holding a gun. Officers told the man to drop the weapon, the statement said.
“We don’t currently have the answers as to what exactly happened during these moments,” said Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson. “We do know that during this interaction, an Idaho Falls police officer fired his service weapon by firing one shot that hit the man. Officers tried to take life-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful. Emergency medical personnel at the Idaho Falls Fire Department also responded and were unable to provide the man with life-saving assistance. “
After the unidentified man was shot, officers saw another man running nearby. Shoesmith was reportedly found in the shed of a nearby home and arrested. The entire incident, from the traffic stop to the Shoesmith arrest, took place in about 20 minutes, according to Idaho Falls police.
“There are no words to express how heavy our hearts are today,” Johnson said. “This situation is terribly tragic for the family, for the officer and for those who love and care about them. We all feel the weight of what happened today. Our sincere sympathy goes out to the family and friends of those involved, especially the family of the deceased. “