No charges presented for officer involved shooting in Lemhi County
The Lemhi County Prosecuting Attorney has announced that he will not file charges against Lemhi County Sheriff Lynn Bowerman in the April 6th, 2015 incident in Leadore in which Blair Kauer was shot by Sheriff Bowerman after a high-speed traffic chase.
“Mr. Kauer was shot and wounded after threatening Sheriff Bowerman with a rifle,” said Paul B. Withers, the Lemhi County Prosecuting Attorney. “Sheriff Bowerman acted within the bounds of the law and in defense of himself and the community.”
The incident was investigated by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Response Team, which provided the Lemhi County Prosecutor’s Office with a detailed report. After careful analysis of their report, Prosecutor Withers concluded that criminal charges against Sheriff Bowerman are not appropriate in this case.
“Under normal conditions my office would request another prosecutor review the investigative findings regarding an officer involved shooting,” says Withers. “However, in this case the investigation established unequivocal evidence that Sheriff Bowerman was justified in his use of force when he fired one round from his service weapon at Mr. Kauer. Mr. Kauer has since acknowledged firing a rifle at Sheriff Bowerman prior to the Sheriff firing his weapon at Mr. Kauer.”
Blair Kauer was sentenced to four years fixed, eight years indeterminate in jail for assault or battery upon certain personnel. He also has been sentenced for 2 years fixed, 3 years indeterminate for attempting to allude an officer in a motor vehicle.
