An Idaho sheriff might be tried by a jury on felony fees arising from an armed confrontation with members of a church youth group exterior his residence.
Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery. At a preliminary listening to Wednesday, a choose discovered there was possible trigger to justify a jury trial, the East Idaho Information reported.
The alleged assault happened on the night of Nov. 9, moments after teenage women had left a “grateful turkey” notice taped to the door of Rowland’s residence within the metropolis of Blackfoot, a part of a church exercise selling “random acts of kindness.”
He allegedly chased the women, then grabbed their grownup chief by the hair and pointed a gun at her head, all whereas yelling profanities.
Rowland has stayed on the job, though he was ordered in December to give up his weapons.
At Wednesday’s listening to, the place prosecutors and protection attorneys have been allowed to current proof and make arguments, Rowland’s lawyer implied the sheriff was justified in believing he was being threatened, the East Idaho Information reported.
Legal professional Justin Olesen mentioned the women behaved in a “sneaky” approach in surreptitiously affixing the paper turkey to the within of Rowland’s storm door earlier than they rang the doorbell and ran again to the automobile. Surveillance video from the house confirmed that the sheriff opened the door, examined the turkey notice and advised his spouse to get his gun.
Earlier court docket paperwork quoted Rowland as saying he bumped into the darkish avenue in his lengthy underwear, armed with a semiautomatic handgun, and ordered the driving force to cease.
“I attain in and pull the driving force out by the hair,” he mentioned. “I say, ‘Who the f*** are you?’” He mentioned he pointed the gun at among the seven women within the automobile after which on the lady’s head.
A number of of the women advised investigators that whereas pointing the weapon at their driver’s head, the sheriff mentioned a number of instances, “I'll f***ing shoot you.” He lastly allowed them to drive away.
The affidavit of possible trigger mentioned Rowland advised Blackfoot Police Chief Scott Homosexual that he had “actually screwed up.”
However he additionally appeared to attempt to justify his actions by claiming he had up to now been harassed at residence by residents of the close by Fort Corridor Shoshone-Bannock reservation. He disparaged the reservation’s residents, calling them “not good individuals.”
Rowland, 62, has since 2012 been the sheriff of Bingham County, between Idaho Falls and Pocatello in southeast Idaho. He and his spouse are members of the women’ church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The “grateful turkey” was meant for his spouse.
If discovered responsible of each fees, Rowland may resist 20 years in jail. An arraignment date has not but been set.