POST FALLS, Idaho — Coeur d'Alene police identified the man who died following an officer-involved shooting and standoff in Post Falls on Tuesday as 53-year-old Thomas W. Boland.
Boland's family has been notified, police said.
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 in regard to Boland's two misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear and resisting and obstructing an officer.
Post Falls Police Chief Pat Knight said the failure to appear warrant stemmed from a 2019 assault cause. Boland's bond was set at $7,500.
The resisting and obstructing charge stemmed from an incident in November 2019, Knight said.
Police said Anderson encountered a man and exchanged gunfire. He then radioed to dispatch that he had been shot and the man fled back into a home.
“During this incident, even after being shot, Sgt. Anderson was able to remain calm [and] update incoming units to his location and position," Knight said.
Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger said on Tuesday that Anderson was shot below his bulletproof vest.
Knight said Anderson was driven directly to Kootenai County Fire Station 1, where county fire and rescue staff tended to his injuries.
Additional officers then arrived on scene and Anderson was taken to Kootenai Health, where he underwent surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Anderson is a 12-year law enforcement veteran who joined the Post Falls Police Department as a patrol sergeant in 2013, Knight said. He added that Anderson is in good spirits.
“The family when I walked in [to his hospital room] said, ‘Justin’s back to normal.' And I said, ‘No, he’s not, or he’d be in the gym,'" Knight said. "That’s just Justin. He’s giving you high-fives. He’s waving at you through the door.”
A doctor at Kootenai Health joked that Anderson must have "abs of steel," as it looked like the bullet hit one of his abs and took a different direction, Knight shared.
On a more serious note, Knight asked people to keep Anderson and his family in their thoughts and prayers, as he's "not out of the woods yet."
The Region One Critical Incident Task Force was activated, with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department taking the lead in the investigation. The Kootenai County Regional SWAT Team also responded to the scene to attempt to make contact with the home's occupants, police said.
One person exited the home and spoke to Investigators, police said. It was believed an additional man was still in the house.
Police said on Wednesday that the person who left the home was a family member of Boland.
After numerous hours of giving commands over the PA system, Boland was found dead inside the house with a handgun adjacent to him, police said. Shell casings were also found inside the home.
Police said the investigation remains active.
Neighbor hears gunshots, sees officers ducking for cover
Heather Wagner lives just across the street from the home on Bentley Place. She recalls hearing gunshots and seeing officers duck for cover.
"I saw an officer crouching down behind a car in front of my house. I didn't know at the time that he was injured," Wagner said.
Wagner said negotiations between SWAT and the suspect were "very scary," adding that she heard SWAT officers attempting to convince the suspect to surrender and saying his family was worried about him.
KREM 2’s Casey Decker said a wide perimeter was set up in the area. A drone and helicopter were seen in the area. Decker also reported hearing multiple flash bangs and SWAT speaking with the suspect over a bullhorn.
Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White said eight families in nearby homes were evacuated to a hotel during the standoff. He added that authorities from Spokane also contributed resources during the standoff, including a robot meant to clear the home.
First Avenue and Lincoln Street are back open following the standoff. Bentley Place is still closed.