Fugitive Arrested In Fort Hall, Taken Into Bingham County Custody
Our station has confirmed with Bingham County Sheriff Dave Johnson, 30-year-old Christopher Weston Hudson was taken into custody by deputies at 4:30 a.m., on Sunday. Fort Hall Police confirmed Hudson was detained at the Fort Hall casino, before being turned over to Bingham County officers.
Agencies across eastern Idaho have been looking for Hudson since Thursday evening, when officers received a tip Hudson may have been in an apartment in that neighborhood. SWAT officers made entry through the front windows of an apartment, but said Hudson was not there.
Officers at the scene told our station it may have been a matter of minutes before Hudson left, and officers arrived.
Hudson’s rap sheet contains 34 criminal cases with multiple charges since 1996 when he was just 14 years old. Amongst his previous charges are at least two instances of drug trafficking, and at least 6 possession charges. He was arrested Sunday morning on a failure to appear warrant on September charges of drug trafficking. His bail was set at $200,000 for the felony.
Hudson’s mother Betty spoke to our station Sunday afternoon. She said Hudson has been struggling with addiction since a traumatic series of brain surgeries when he was about 15 years old.
“It has been horrible,” she said. “Devastation, despair, anger, everything. It’s a bad deal.”
Betty said she is devastated, but hopeful perhaps Chris being in jail can help with his rehabilitation.
Our station spoke to neighbors at Fallsbrook, and the woman who lives in the apartment that was raided on Thursday. They said they are upset about how the SWAT response was handled.
Ashley Kelly showed us glass from the window police busted in order to enter her apartment on Eve Drive.
“What upsets me is that he was not here,” said Kelly, as she referred to Hudson.
Kelly said with a broken window, she and her 5-year old daughter have trouble staying warm.
“It’s freezing cold in my house,” she said. “and I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Kelly’s neighbor Tanner Baker said he saw the SWAT raid.
“Even if they did have probable cause for him being in there, it doesn’t justify them destroying her house like they did,” said Baker.
Our station contacted the Bonneville County Sheriff’s office and spoke to Sgt. Nathan Bennion. He said in most cases, the sheriff will reimburse for damage incurred during an attempted arrest.
“We can’t throw a new window or a door right back in, right then and there,” said Bennion. “So we ask them to submit a bill and most cases that’s taken care of through the sheriff’s office.”
