Deputies remain hospitalized
SANDPOINT — Bonner County sheriff’s deputies who were shot in the line of duty on Monday remained hospitalized on Tuesday.
Deputy Michael R. Gagnon, 53, was reported to be in serious condition, while Deputy Justin Penn, 30, was reported to be in stable condition, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation into the exchange of gunfire that erupted at 780 Mountain View Road in Blanchard at 11:33 a.m.
The suspect involved in the shooting, Adam Deacon Foster, was also injured and was listed in fair condition on Tuesday, Kootenai sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
Gagnon and Penn were serving an arrest warrant on Foster, 30, when gunfire was traded.
“The investigation is in its early stages with detectives from multiple agencies of the Critical Incident Task Force collecting evidence and statements from witnesses. Crime scene processing is ongoing,” the news release said.
Penn and Gagnon have been with the department for nearly two years and more than five years, respectively, sheriff’s officials said. A third deputy, William T. Craffey, 47, was involved in the incident but was not injured. Sheriff’s officials said all three deputies will be on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing, a standard protocol in shooting incidents.
Two cases, meanwhile, remain filed under seal against Foster, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository. Their presence is indicative of pending criminal charges and/or a court’s order of protection.
A criminal case becomes unsealed once a defendant makes an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court. Orders of protection are never unsealed for public review. Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said on Monday it was unclear when Foster would be given medical clearances for open court proceedings to begin.
Bonner County dispatch logs showed police activity in the 700 block of Mountain View in the weeks leading up to the confrontation. A welfare check was conducted in that block on Dec. 16, 2016, and a family offense was reported on Jan. 10, 2017. Gagnon conducted follow-up investigation on the family offense call the following day, the dispatch log stated.
Bonner County’s 911 website was disabled on Monday, but was back online on Tuesday.
It’s the second time in two years a Bonner County sheriff’s deputy has taken fire in the line of duty. Deputy Alex Hughes was allegedly fired upon by Steven Michael Gervasi during a high-speed chase in May 2016. Hughes was not struck and Gervasi is awaiting trial on a charge of attempted second-degree murder.
It’s the fourth time law officers in Bonner County have been on the receiving end of muzzles since 2016, although two of the incidents resolved without shots being fired.