POST FALLS, Idaho — Newly obtained court records are revealing more details about the man behind a Post Falls Police call that resulted in an officer being shot and a massive SWAT standoff.
Post Falls Police Sgt. Justin Anderson, 36, was searching for 53-year-old Thomas W. Boland in the area of 100 S. Bentley Place at about 8:40 p.m. on Tuesday, police said. The search was related to Boland's two misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear and resisting and obstructing an officer.
Police said Anderson encountered a man and the two exchanged gunfire. It is unknown at this time if the man was Boland.
Anderson then radioed to dispatch that he had been shot and the man fled back into a home. He was later taken to Kootenai Health, where he will be recovering for at least one more week.
The Post Falls Police Department expects him to make a full recovery and eventually return to duty.
Boland tried to attack a group of Jehovah’s Witness church members who were handing out pamphlets in his neighborhood two years ago, court records show.
According to court records, Boland approached a church member with one of the pamphlets and threatened to kill him. That church member testified that Boland said, "I know where you guys meet and I'm going to do to you what they did in Texas."
The last part references a 2017 mass shooting at a Texas church where 26 people died.
Boland then started swinging his fists at the church members and made threats to prevent them from calling authorities, court records show.
According to court records, a Post Falls Police officer testified that Boland was agitated and gave officers the middle finger after they attempted to serve a protection order against him.
At a 2018 trial, it took a jury less than an hour to convict Boland on two assault charges.
When it came time for Boland to be sentenced at a separate hearing last year, he failed to show up for court. This prompted the arrest warrant that Anderson attempted to serve on Tuesday night.
After an hourslong standoff, Boland was found dead inside the house with a handgun near him, police said.
The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is investigating the shooting since it involved a Post Falls Police officer.