Ada County police shooting ‘poorly executed' but justified, prosecutor says
The Kuna police officers who shot a man on an Interstate 84 on-ramp in Meridian last year were legally justified in their use of force, according to the Valley County prosecuting attorney, who took issue with some facets of the incident.
Brian Naugle wrote in a report released Friday night that police too often seem to choose violence and that the officers were lucky no one was hurt when some bullets hit a passing car and landed across the freeway in Roaring Springs Water Park. While the use of force 'may have been poorly executed,' it was still legally justifiable, he said.
'They (officers) must still avoid using such force in a reckless, careless, or negligent manner,' Naugle wrote in a letter to Ada County. 'I cannot help but notice a tendency to choose deadly force even when there are other alternatives or where the use of force by the police creates at least as great a danger to the public as the person being apprehended.'
The Treasure Valley saw 12 police shootings last year, including one in Elmore County and one in Owyhee County. Seven of those were fatal.
On Aug. 1, 2024, Jeremiah Bainbridge ripped his girlfriend's car keys out of her pocket and drove away in her car, according to previous Statesman reporting. The woman jumped out of the car as he drove away, with 'mildly bleeding scratches' on her face, according to the prosecutor's letter.
Bainbridge drove 100 miles per hour while trying to elude Ada County sheriff's deputies who work for the city of Kuna, which has the Sheriff's Office operate its police force under a contract, according to previous Statesman reporting and the letter. He called dispatch and said he was armed, suicidal and wouldn't go back to jail.
Deputies used a pursuit-intervention technique to stop the car. Bainbridge got out of the car with a gun in his hand, the letter said. Ultimately, three deputies fired 19 rounds, five of which struck him, the letter said.
Bainbridge pleaded guilty to charges of domestic violence and fleeing an officer. A judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail and required him to complete the Active Behavioral Change program, to be followed by probation until 2032.
Reporter Alex Brizee contributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
2 teens killed northeast of Phoenix add to list of murders at campsites since 1970s
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office continued to investigate the shooting deaths of two Phoenix area teenagers found dead near a campsite northeast of the Valley. The two were shot and killed by an unknown assailant on May 26, their bodies found by deputies the next day, according to the families of the two victims. Until investigators could identify a lead in the rapidly growing cold case, the two untimely deaths became part of Arizona's list of unsolved murder cases involving campers just beyond the Phoenix metro area. Here's what we know about two past murder cases involving teenage victims — one in 1973, another in 2003 — and now, a third in 2025. Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, were found with gunshot wounds just off State Route 87 near Mount Ord, north of Sunflower, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, who found the bodies May 27. Parents of the two victims told The Arizona Republic that the teenagers were on a planned camping trip. An investigation remained ongoing, with the Sheriff's Office asking for the public's help in solving the case. "Your help could be critical in bringing answers and justice to the victims and their families," said Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office asked anyone with information about the case to call 602-876-TIPS (602-876-8477). Since the early 1970s, at least six documented murders have involved young people who were shot while enjoying the outdoors just outside the Phoenix area. In 2003, Lisa Gurrieri, 19, and Brandon Rumbaugh, 20, were shot and killed in a still-unsolved double homicide off a road near the Interstate 17. The Scottsdale couple were found dead in the back of a pick-up truck parked off Bumble Bee Road near Black Canyon City, just north of Phoenix. They were found lying inside their sleeping bags, each with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators ruled out a murder-suicide, said there was no evidence of robbery or sexual assault, and that neither drugs nor alcohol were involved. Family said the couple were celebrating a one year anniversary together. Initially, they planned to go to Disneyland, but that was too pricey for the young couple, so they settled on a camping trip about 30 miles north of Phoenix off of I-17. In March 1973, Shawn Jensen, shot and killed two teenagers picnicking northeast of Phoenix. Kathy Kroger, 17, and James Burgoyne, 19, were killed when Jensen, a Vietnam combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, had an alleged flashback and shot both of the teenagers in the head. Just like Kjorsrud and Clark, the two teens killed in 1973 were students of Arcadia High School, according to KKTV 11. Jensen was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the shooting, but his case later came under scrutiny by the American Civil Liberties Union. According to the ACLU of Oklahoma, Jensen had tried to get help mental health treatment in the months prior to the shooting. Since his imprisonment, Jensen was denied parole in both 2018 and 2019, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections. As of May 2025, he remains incarcerated in Eloy. The Arizona Republic's Laurie Roberts and former reporter Jason Pohl contributed to this article. Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Unsolved murders have happened before at Phoenix area campsites
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
$10K tactical robot purchase discovery leads to answers from Sheriff's Office
ST. LOUIS – From an alleged secret luxury vehicle to the latest FOX 2 discovery of new tactical robots, the St. Louis Sheriff's Office is now breaking its silence with the media. 'That's kind of an inexpensive way to take a small shot at a big problem,' retired judge David Mason said in response to our latest findings. Mason recently left 34 years as a circuit court judge to join the St. Louis Sheriff's Office as its lawyer. Missouri statute only allows him to be paid $15,000 a year for the job, which Mason said is proof he's only representing Sheriff Alfred Montgomery because he wants to. 'He's young, but he has a lot of vision about what he wants to do,' Mason said of Sheriff Montgomery. He agreed to talk on behalf of the Sheriff to answer FOX 2's latest discovery of two tactical robots that cost a combined $10k. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The office showed us one of them in action. 'It's a stopgap immediate measure for a big security problem,' Mason said. We've seen cases of courtroom violence because Mason said other courthouses have cameras everywhere, but not in St. Louis. 'We know that if somebody wants to take over a courtroom,' the retired judge said, '…we don't know what's going on in there.' He says the roving remote robot could be the eyes to help court security respond to a threat. 'Security is job one,' Mason said. He also agreed to address the new Chevy Tahoe we revealed on FOX 2 Thursday: 'Historically, the car for the Sheriff has been purchased from that budget, and that's what this Sheriff did.' Mason said funds were used that don't impact taxpayers; rather, he said they came from a pot of fees collected from things like the office's process serving. He said the vehicle will be Sheriff Montgomery's take-home car, adding, 'There's always a car available to make sure business is done and that's really what it comes down to.' Mason said more changes are coming. He also promised the Sheriff's Office will be more open about those changes – as we continue following decisions that impact the public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
4 suspects facing 10 additional counts of attempted murder in Catawba Co. mass shooting
CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Additional charges have been filed in the weekend mass shooting that turned a house party into a deadly scene in Catawba County. Ten additional counts each of attempted first-degree murder have been filed against Toland Huff Jr, Zachary Bates, Izaiah Mitchell and Ke'andre Mack. These suspects received no bond and remain in the custody of the Catawba County Detention Facility. The four suspects, who investigators now call the 'Hillside Shooters', are all scheduled to appear in court Monday, June 9. Additional charges are pending. Anyone with photos, video, or tips or contact the Catawba County Sheriff's Office at 828-464-3112. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
