Manhunt underway for suspect
BLANCHARD — A 27-year-old Oldtown man is accused of opening fire on Bonner County sheriff’s deputies during a high-speed pursuit late Monday night.
Sheriff’s officials said deputies attempted stop a maroon Jeep Cherokee on Tweedie Road near Highway 41 at 11:16 p.m. The driver of the sport utility vehicle refused to yield, touching off a pursuit that crossed into Washington state.
Patrick Allen Geaudreau, a passenger in the SUV, opened fire on deputies with a handgun during the chase, according to sheriff’s officials.
“We have a pretty good idea who the driver is, but we probably won’t disclose that until tomorrow,” sheriff’s Capt. Ror Lakewold said on Tuesday.
Several gunshots struck the hood and driver’s side compartment of a deputy’s patrol vehicle, which disabled it. The deputy was not hit by the incoming gunfire, sheriff’s officials said.
The pursuit continued to Pend Oreille County’s Spring Valley. The SUV crashed through a fence, became stuck in a creek bed and the rig’s two occupants continued their flight on foot.
An overnight search was conducted by deputies from Bonner, Pend Oreille and Spokane counties. Priest River Police and a helicopter from Two Bear Air in Whitefish, Mont., also took part in the manhunt. However, the driver and Geaudreau eluded capture and remain at large.
Both Geaudreau and the driver were deemed armed and dangerous and if they are spotted, authorities recommend calling 911.
The investigation is ongoing and more information will be released when it becomes available.
It’s not the first time Geaudreau has been involved in an high-speed pursuit, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository. He was charged with eluding in Bonner County in 2014, but the charge was dismissed. He was convicted of a 2014 burglary in Sandpoint and served a 45-day sentence.
Lakewold said Geaudreau was wanted for questioning in a felony domestic dispute and attempted strangulation investigation.
“Geaudreau was a person of interest in a fire that burned down a house,” Lakewold added.
The fire destroyed a trailer early Monday morning the Spirit Lake area, according to Lakewold.
There were no injuries in the blaze.