COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — The mother of a man found guilty of assaulting three police officers in the 2019 Coeur d’Alene Fourth of July shooting shared body camera footage Wednesday that she said proves her son is innocent.
A jury recently found Nicole Ellis’ son, Tyler Rambo, guilty of three counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and not guilty of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Ellis believes the body camera video from the Coeur d'Alene police officers at the scene prove her son did not intentionally fire his gun at police.
"I don't know how he was found guilty when two experts tell you, you know, we can't confirm it 100% either way, but when he's right handed and he's had the taser on his right side, and his gun is in his right hand, and you can see him flinch. Like he jerks he clenches when he's hit with the taser,” she said. “You can see his body react to it, and he's falling, you know, at the same time."
Ellis shared the body camera videos with KREM 2. She said she got the videos from her son’s defense attorney, Rick Baughman. He confirmed the videos were played in court for the trial. KREM only received three clips and we have not seen the entire exchange between police and Rambo. According to Rambo’s attorney, the full video was not shown at trial.
Ellis said Rambo has his hands in the air, then lowered them to get on the ground as police commanded. She doesn’t think police gave him enough time.
"It happens very fast and he turns around, he puts his left arm out, you know, to show he's not trying to do anything and then he's tased,” Ellis said. “Where was he supposed to get down? Where was he supposed to do anything? It was only seconds after he turned around and then they tased him."
Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White said the prosecutor's office has asked the department to not release or comment on the body camera video at this time because Rambo has not been sentenced. There is also an ongoing civil lawsuit, but only a tort claim has been filed.
"I think the biggest thing to remember is a jury spent two weeks, listening to testimony, not only for Mr. Rambo, but also the officers who were involved in this case, witnesses who were present that day, expert witnesses,” White said. “They reviewed all of the evidence, and ultimately, after lengthy deliberation, found him guilty of aggravated assault against those officers, with the weapon enhancement."
White said he has seen all of the body camera videos from that night. He said his officers acted reasonably and appropriately.
“I think the video does a pretty good job of showing that his gun was pointed directly at the officers when it was fired, and the officers responded appropriately," White said.
During the trial, officers said they told Rambo to drop the gun before shooting him, with a detective saying he feared for his life, the lives of other officers and members of the public. Jawaun Anderson, who's fight with Rambo happened in the lead up to the shooting, said during the trial that he saw Rambo pull a gun out. Another witness, Jazmin Smith, also told the jury about the fight between Anderson and Rambo and said that she saw a weapon that ended up "in her face."
Rambo told the jury that he got into a fight with Anderson at the park and admitted to carrying a revolver and bullets with him for protection. He also said that after he and Anderson started fighting other people joined in and started kicking and beating him.
Rambo also said he pulled his gun out and fired it into the air while he was on the ground to get the group of people to back off, after which he and Anderson fought over the gun. He also said he never intended to shoot anyone.