Mayor demands Sheriff’s resignation

BLACKFOOT — Mayor Marc Carroll issued a statement Friday demanding the Bingham County Sheriff’s immediate resignation.

In demanding Sheriff Craig Rowland’s resignation, Carroll cited the allegations that Rowland pulled a woman out of a car filled with teenage girls by her hair and pointed his service weapon at her head. The Mayor also cited disparaging comments Rowland reportedly made about Native Americans.

“In order to protect the integrity of our Law Enforcement Agencies, the City of Blackfoot and the Blackfoot Police Department call for the immediate resignation and public apology to the Fort Hall community by Sheriff Craig Rowland,” Carroll wrote.

Rowland is facing felony charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault as well as a misdemeanor charge of exhibition or use of a deadly weapon.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Rowland reportedly admitted to the allegations. Multiple witness accounts reported in the affidavit also corroborated the allegations

“I reach in and pull the driver out by the hair. I say, ‘who the f**k are you?’ and I do have my gun in my hand, but still have my finger on the slide, she says (her name) and I said ‘get the f**k out of here,’†Rowland reportedly told Idaho Attorney General’s Office Lead Investigator Nicholas Edwards.

RELATED: Idaho AG charges Sheriff Rowland with aggravated battery and assault

It was in the interview with Edwards that Rowland reportedly made disparaging remarks about Native Americans.

“I have been doing this job for 36 years, I’ve had drunk Indians drive down my cul-de-sac, I’ve had drunk Indians come to my door, I live just off of the reservation, we have a lot of reservation people around us that are not good people, they committed crimes, we’ve arrested them, so on and so forth,†Rowland allegedly told Edwards.

The Blackfoot Mayor wasn’t the only elected official to issue a statement about the Sheriff’s reported comments.

“I am shocked and disappointed in the comments printed about Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Members. The Reservation and its members are, and have always been, an important part of Bingham County. The comments reflect the beliefs of one individual and in no way do I agree with or condone them. Having a positive relationship with the Tribe is extremely important to me and I hope that we will be able to repair the damage caused by these hurtful comments,” Bingham County Commissioner Jessica Lewis said in an official statement.

County Commissioners Mark Bair and Whitney Manwaring also issued statements denouncing Rowland’s comments.