One dead in Sunday night officer-involved shooting

UPDATE: The name of the man killed in the Sunday night officer-involved shooting is John Charles Moreida, 35, of Shelley.

SHELLEY — A man, wanted on a felony drug warrant, is dead following an officer-involved shooting at a local apartment complex Sunday night.

Shelley Police Chief Rod Mohler said that Sunday night around 10:45 p.m. at the Carnoustie apartment complex on W Fir St. a Shelley police officer, while attempting to serve a felony warrant, opened fire on the suspect, killing him.

The man allegedly charged the officer with a knife. The officer reportedly ordered the suspect to drop his weapon but the suspect refused, forcing the officer to use deadly force in the protection of his own life.

“The suspect started running toward my officer with the knife in his hand,” Mohler said. “(The officer) gave commands, the guy didn’t want to drop the knife so he kept coming at my officer and he was forced to stop the threat.”

According to a Shelley Police Department news release, the officer’s attempted ministration of life-saving measures was unsuccessful. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mohler said the officer was not injured. He has been placed on paid leave while the Critical Incident Task Force, led by the Pocatello Police Department, conducts its investigation and determines if the use of deadly force was justified.

The name of the victim is being withheld until law enforcement can notify the family.

The name of the officer involved is also being withheld while the incident is under investigation.

Mohler said the events that led up to the shooting began when the Shelley Police Department received a tip that a man with a felony warrant was hiding out at the Carnoustie apartments.

“Someone from inside the apartment called and said, ‘hey, we don’t want him here.’ They knew he had a felony warrant also because he was hiding,” he said.

The Shelley police officer was dispatched to the apartment to serve the warrant. He reportedly had backup from a Bingham County Sheriff’s Deputy.

“This individual was very well known to us and (the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office),” Mohler said.

While the Shelley officer went to the front door to attempt to serve the warrant, the deputy went around the back to make sure the suspect couldn’t escape.

Mohler said an individual inside the apartment let the officer inside. The confrontation allegedly happened, after the officer was inside the apartment.

One witness, who wished to remain anonymous, told Community Pioneer that they heard someone yell an order to drop a weapon and then heard five gunshots.

Mohler said there is body camera footage of the incident that is currently being used in the Critical Incident Taskforce’s investigation.

Mohler also said that the Shelley Police Department is receiving assistance from the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office now that they are down one officer and another officer is training at the Post Academy and others that have been off duty for medical leave.

“It’s taxing but we’re working 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The community will be taken care of. I’ll make certain of that.” Mohler said.