Kootenai County sheriff says staff vacancies hurt responses

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — The sheriff of Kootenai County, Idaho, says the deadly shooting Monday night near Hauser Lake was the latest example of increased violent crime and the shortage of deputies at the sheriff’s office to respond.

Sheriff Robert Norris said Wednesday that Dennis Rogers was found dead and John S. Hazell Jr. was injured.

The Spokesman-Review reported that Adam J. Bennett, a 44-year-old transient, was taken into custody without incident after he allegedly fled the scene but has not been charged in the case.

Norris says it was very difficult to find sheriff’s office personnel to respond to the crime scene because of staffing shortages.

Norris says raising deputies’ salaries would help fill the sheriff’s office vacancies.