COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — The man who shot and killed a suspected car thief in a Coeur d'Alene parking lot last month won't face criminal charges.
The Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that James Dean "acted lawfully" when he shot at Shane Brown, who Dean said was attempting to steal his car. Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Mortensen concluded that Dean did not commit a crime and won't face charges related to Brown's death.
"Dean fired his handgun in an attempt to defend himself from the deadly threat Brown presented himself to be," Mortensen wrote.
On April 7, Dean and his wife were shopping in Coeur d'Alene. Before that, the couple purchased "precious metals" from a car shop before driving to a strip mall, where they planned to continue shopping.
At the time, Dean was carrying a handgun, which Mortensen said is protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Dean reportedly saw an unfamiliar car follow him from the coin shop to the area near the strip mall. However, the car didn't follow Dean into the strip mall parking lot.
When Dean and his wife finished shopping, he saw the tailgate and cab door to their pickup truck were open. Dean got closer and saw a man, later identified as Brown, get out of the back of the truck and get into the same car that followed him into the strip mall parking lot.
According to Mortensen, Dean has reason to believe his car was just burglarized.
Dean told his wife to call the police and walked in front of the car Brown got into, yelling at him to stay where he was. Mortensen said Idaho Code "supports Dean's resistance to becoming a victim of Brown's burglary and theft."
While Dean was in front of the car, Brown started the car and "indicated he was going to drive forward." Dean told him to turn the car off, but Brown reached down like he was going to put the car into gear. This caused Dean to grab his gun and point it at Brown.
Mortensen said Idaho Code supports Dean drawing his handgun, standing his ground and staying in front of the car while exercising self-defense. Specifically, Idaho Code states "The defense of self or of another does not require a person to wait until he or she ascertains whether the danger is apparent or real."
Brown turned off the car and Dean lowered his gun. However, Brown quickly turned the car back on and reached down like he was going to drive forward, which he ultimately did.
Dean was hit and lifted off the ground, landing on the hood of the car. He got his gun out again and fired at Brown a total of five times. Brown was hit and ultimately died from his injuries.
Mortensen said Brown was a deadly threat to Dean at the time of the shooting, and Idaho Code supports Dean's use of deadly force when he believed his life was in danger.
Ultimately, Mortensen concluded that Dean acted within his rights at the time of the incident and didn't commit any crimes. Therefore, he will not face charges related to it.
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