Sacramento Native Shot, Killed By Idaho Falls Police Was Mistaken For Suspect
IDAHO FALLS, ID (CBS13) — A Sacramento native was shot and killed by police in his own yard after officers mistook him for a suspect.
Idaho Falls police tried to make a traffic stop around 12 a.m. Monday, but the suspect, a man with multiple felony warrants, ran from the scene, prompting a search. Police say the suspect had a history of violence with law enforcement.
Officers swarmed a neighborhood looking for him, eventually surrounding a residence where they believed the suspect was hiding.
When the officers encountered Joseph Johnson standing in his own backyard, armed with a gun, one officer opened fire and killed him. After he was shot, police say they tried life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. Eventually, they learned the man they shot was not the suspect.
The suspect was later found hiding in a shed. He was taken into custody.
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Johnson lived in the Sacramento area for 15 years and moved to Idaho with his family a couple of years ago.
A criminal investigation into the shooting is underway.
"The Idaho Falls Police Department has core values, one of those values being integrity," said Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson in a statement. "As we define integrity it means being honest and truthful at all times, even when the truths we have to tell may be difficult. Today, the truths we have to share with the community are difficult and incredibly tragic."