Local man leads slow speed chase, facing charges

BONNERS FERRY — A local man led four law enforcement vehicles on a slow-speed chase, crisscrossing and parading through town earlier this month, and by the end, ended with charges of driving under the influence, attempting to elude police, possession of marijuana and the driver being tased.

In an affidavit, Bonners Ferry Patrol Officer Scott Davis wrote that 30 minutes before the incident, dispatch issued a traffic complaint that a white SUV was allegedly driving recklessly and swerving in the opposite lane near Safeway.

When Davis pulled out of Napa Auto Parts, the white SUV behind him activated its high beams. The driver followed the officer to Kootenai Street near city hall.

Davis initiated a traffic stop and told the driver, Ian Mason, 39, of Bonners Ferry, to exit the vehicle. In the affidavit, Davis wrote Mason posed a serious safety risk due to his alleged ignoring of his patrol siren and emergency lights, noting that the man had allegedly “battered” law enforcement vehicles in April 2022.

Davis tried to verbally de-escalate the situation, however Mason allegedly continued to ignore his commands, court documents said.

When BFPD Sgt. Willie Cowell appeared on scene, he also asked Mason to exit the vehicle. However, Mason allegedly drove away and a slow-speed pursuit ensued, with the Boundary County Sheriff's Office and Border Patrol responding and joining the pursuit.

After several unsuccessful attempts to apply de-mobilization techniques to the vehicle, which meandered through the streets and side roads of Bonners Ferry, spike strips were used on U.S. 95 to stop the vehicle.

The chase concluded when the vehicle and driver were stopped at Non Nom’s gas station when pushed into a snow bank by a BFPD patrol car.

Law enforcement asked Mason to show his hands and exit the vehicle. When he didn’t comply, Davis checked the open passenger side window and saw there were no weapons, and deployed his taser. Mason was then placed under arrest.

When looking for vehicle registration, law enforcement officials discovered a clear vial with gold-colored oil, that field tested presumptively for THC, a core ingredient in marijuana.

Mason is charged with attempting to fell or elude a police officer, a felony and four misdemeanors related to the incident.

The case has moved to district court.

In April 2022, Mason pleaded guilty to resisting or obstructing police offices, a misdemeanor.