Shootout suspect released from hospital

SANDPOINT — A Blanchard man injured in an exchange of gunfire with Bonner County sheriff’s deputies was released from Kootenai Health hospital, Kootenai County sheriff’s officials said on Tuesday.

Adam Deacon Foster was booked into the Kootenai County Public Safety Building, where he is being held on a warrant of detention out of Bonner County. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance today in the magistrate division of 1st District Court.

A trio of deputies went to Foster’s home at 780 Mountain View Road on Jan. 16 to serve an arrest warrant when gunfire erupted. Deputies Michael Gagnon and Justin Penn were injured in the exchange, as was Foster. A third deputy, William T. Craffey, was not injured, according to Kootenai County officials.

Penn was released from Kootenai Health last week. Gagnon was released on Monday. Gagnon, Penn and Craffey are on administrative leave while the incident remains under investigation, a standard protocol in shooting incidents.

Foster, 30, has not been charged in connection with the gunbattle.

However, details are emerging about what brought deputies to Foster’s doorstep.

A family member reported on or about Jan. 8 that Foster attacked and threatened to kill her, according to a probable cause affidavit. Foster also vowed to kill police officers if she summoned them.

The family member reported the incident on Jan. 10 and advised that Foster is known to carry a firearm on his person. When deputies went to question Foster, he allegedly burst out of the home wearing a trench coat and yelling, the affidavit. Foster refused commands to show his hands and retreated back into the residence. He periodically stuck his head out the door to berate the deputies, who did not have a warrant at that time, the affidavit said.

Foster had a superior vantage point from within the home, which prevented deputies from getting too close to the front door.

“Due to the circumstances at hand, the determination was made to back out and request a warrant for Adam’s arrest,” Penn said in the affidavit.

Foster’s relative said he had been staying at the home for about two weeks, after moving a fifth-wheel trailer off a piece of property in Washington state. Foster allegedly told the relative that he believed people at his former place of residence had slipped methamphetamine into his coffee and that they were trying to poison his food, the affidavit said.

Foster later turned up at the home of a neighbor who told dispatchers that Foster appeared to be high on meth and armed with a .357 magnum pistol, the affidavit said. Foster returned to his home without incident.

Sheriff’s officials in Kootenai County are heading up the shooting investigation as part of the North Idaho Critical Incident Task Force.