Star, ID – An Ada County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputy is in critical condition after being shot by a suspect on a stolen motorcycle on Monday morning.
UPDATE: The suspect has been captured.
There is an “active manhunt” underway for the gunman, who is described as a dark-haired white male in his forties, Ada County Sheriff Stephen Bartlett said during a 10:15 a.m. press conference.
He was last seen wearing a blue or dark-colored bandana and jeans, and was carrying a tan or camo-patterned backpack.
Sheriff Bartlett described the incident as an “active situation,” and residents have been asked to “shelter in place.”
The attack occurred in the area of Beacon Light and Highway 16 at approximately 7:30 a.m., KIVI reported.
Deputies responded to the area after receiving a report of a home burglary in Canyon County, Sheriff Bartlett said.
The suspect allegedly fled the burglary scene on a stolen motorcycle.
A deputy soon spotted someone matching the description of the suspect and the stolen motorcycle and attempted to stop the rider, the sheriff said.
After a “short pursuit,” the suspect got off of the motorcycle and tried to run off on foot, Sheriff Bartlett told reporters.
The deputy chased him for a short distance before the suspect opened fire on him, hitting him twice.
The deputy returned fire, but it is unknown whether or not the gunman was wounded.
Sheriff Bartlett said it is not yet known how many rounds were fired during the gun battle.
The shooter ultimately escaped, and the deputy was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
He is “undergoing evaluation in surgery,” Sheriff Bartlett said.
The wounded deputy’s family has been notified.
Here is an updated description of shooting suspect deputies are looking for in the Idaho 16/Beacon Light area: White male, slender build, with short facial hair. He was wearing a puffy dark green jacket and jeans, and a blue bandanna.
— Ada County Sheriff (@AdaCoSheriff) July 13, 2020
A SWAT unit and a critical incident task force have been dispatched to the area as the “active manhunt” for the unidentified gunman continues, Sheriff Bartlett said.
The suspect “should be considered armed and very dangerous,” the sheriff added.
The Boise Police Department (BPD) is leading the ongoing investigation.
Search still underway for suspect who shot an Ada County Sheriff Deputy. Details on the way. https://t.co/uzWGhH1mmH
— Rick Worthington (@RickWorthington) July 13, 2020
Sheriff Bartlett declined to release the wounded deputy’s name out of respect for him and his family, but said he had been serving the department for just over one year.
He noted that the deputy previously served in “another part of the country,” and that he has an “extensive law enforcement” background.
“He’s a very seasoned deputy,” Sheriff Bartlett said.
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