Police name officers involved in park shooting
LOREN BENOIT/Press Law enforcement personnel responded to a shooting at City Park after the Fourth of July fireworks celebration.
Coeur d’Alene Police released the names Thursday of eight officers involved in a Fourth of July shooting at City Park that left an 18-year-old Spokane man hospitalized.
The officers, who are on paid leave as the Idaho State Police investigates the incident, are Justin Bangs, Jacob Brazle, Kyle Cannon, Matthew Edward, Ryan Germain, Nathan Herbig, Jacob Proctor and Casey Ziegler.
Tyler Rambo was listed in critical condition at Kootenai Health after being shot more than 10 times by police when he refused to drop a firearm after allegedly shooting at someone with a .357 revolver near Independence Point. The shots came shortly after the city’s Fourth of July fireworks show.
Rambo’s family has since prohibited medical personnel from releasing updated reports of his condition.
His grandmother, Karri Putnam, posted a comment on social media telling friends Rambo’s condition is improving.
“Thank you everyone for all your support. Tyler is getting stronger everyday,” Putnam wrote on her Facebook page four days ago.
Coeur d’Alene Police said they responded to a gunshot at Independence Point at 10:10 p.m. and followed Rambo as he carried a handgun west toward the park’s basketball courts, asking him repeatedly to drop the firearm. They attempted to Taze the teenager when he pointed the gun and shot once at officers, police said.
When officers in a law-enforcement agency are involved in a shooting, an investigation is conducted by an outside agency and the report is turned over to prosecutors, who can charge an officer if they find wrongdoing. Often a local prosecutor’s office sends the investigation results to an outside agency for review.
Bangs, a 12-year department veteran, is the most senior of the police officers involved in the shooting. He has 17 years experience in law enforcement. Cannon and Herbig have 10 years experience in law enforcement. Proctor, Brazle and Ziegler have been peace officers for eight years. The other patrolmen have a combined 11 years experience.
The investigation into the shooting could take several months, according to state police.