Officers detail thoughts during fatal shooting

SANDPOINT — The officers involved in the deadly shooting outside Bonner General Health told investigators that Jeanetta Riley left them with no choice but to open fire.

Officers Garret Johnson, Mike Valenzuela and Skylar Ziegler also told investigators that Riley had ample opportunity to heed commands to drop the knife before shots rang out, according to transcripts of their interviews with Bonner County sheriff’s detectives.

Riley, 35, was shot to death outside the hospital on the night of July 8. She refused commands to drop a fillet knife and was shot when she allegedly advanced on officers Valenzuela and Ziegler.

Those close to Riley also suspected that she knew what would happen by engaging the officers, according to interview transcripts released by the city of Sandpoint under Idaho’s public records law.

Riley’s husband, Shane, said in a Facebook message to a family friend that he believed his wife used police to effect her suicide.

Shane Riley, who witnessed the shooting, told detectives he was surprised Jeanetta would “go at” the officers in the manner she did.

“It was like she was walking into her own grave,” Shane Riley told sheriff’s Det. Barry Reinink.

Toxicology reports indicated Jeanetta Riley had a blood alcohol level of at least 0.33, which is more than four times the legal limit of 0.08. She also had methamphetamine in her system and intravenous drug paraphernalia was found in her van, according to police reports released by the city.

Eleven seconds elapsed from the time officers arrived on the scene and shots were fired, according to video footage of the encounter.

Valenzuela, the first officer to open fire, also suspected Jeanetta Riley was either trying to get them to shoot her or that she meant to do them harm with the knife. Moreover, he was not sure if his Taser would have been effective.

“In that time frame, I think we did everything we could,” Valenzuela told sheriff’s Det. Sgt. Gary Johnston. “We used every option we could and she limited us to what options we could have used.”

Officer Johnson, who did not open fire, said Jeanetta Riley had opportunities to drop the knife.

“I believe she was intent on hurting us,” Johnson told sheriff’s detectives.

All three officers cited their training under the Tueller Drill, which holds that an attacker with a knife can cover a distance of 21 within as little as 1.5 seconds. Valenzuela said Jeanetta Riley was about 10 feet away when he fired, while Ziegler was 12-15 feet away from Riley when he fired.

Ziegler told investigators he had an unexplained sense of foreboding as soon as they began responding to the 911 call, which prompted him to activate his wearable video camera.

“My gut instinct said I was going into something bad,” Ziegler told Johnston.