ID - Ranchers wife: I saw them murder my husband

[Woodland]

Fwiw - 50/50 here on the body cams were on or off. They should have been on imo.

There does seem to be some degree of time lapse until the Yantis farm received a call from local dispatch - many emergency personnel on site when the Y family and nephew walked to the scene after the call. The bull had not yet been put down when they arrived. Seems to me, from the only account available, the Y family assessed the situation and went to get the necessary equipment to deal with what had happened.

Also from the only account available - who grabs a guy holding a rifle? Did the deputies not initially see a rifle had been brought back to the scene by the Y family? 'Put the weapon down' seems like a better response. Jmo.

Zollman says his deputies are familiar with livestock issues.

"I do not have an officer that works here on the road that has not either grown up on a ranch or owned livestock himself," he said.

http://www.krem.com/story/news/loca...-flare-after-idaho-rancher-shooting/75305610/

 

[Sonya610]

The bull had not yet been put down when they arrived.

Yeah many articles say LEO was "about to put the bull down".

Really? Because they never did! The family and their attorney state the bull lied their after being gut-shot for two hours and finally bled to death. The officers NEVER tried to put the bull down they just stood around and watched.

They should be brought up on animal cruelty charges as well.

 

[Woodland]

While Paradis was getting the skid loader, the deputies started shooting at the bull. At least one of them had a semiautomatic rifle, perhaps an AR-15, an adaptation of the military M16.

“They opened up with their pistols and their M16s ... before Jack got there,” Paradis said.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/article43673037.html

So the deputies saw the Y family arrive and leave. What did the deputies think was going to happen? They would come back or not come back? The nephew does not say in the written account if JY discussed with the deputies what he was going to do.

That initial gunfire at the bull did not kill it. JY was about to do it properly and humanely. After being shot by the deputies while lying beside the driveway, the bull got up and started a rampage towards all that were close. Then it laid down on the pavement - this is when JY aimed his rifle at the back of the bulls head. His shoulder was grabbed by a deputy. JY's rifle went off. JY was shot by deputies.

JY's shot, now aiming out of control, could have injured or killed someone. How many shots by the deputies met their mark? Did any go astray?

The above is from the family account - tend to believe all of it as I see nothing contradictory or illogical.

 

[Trident]

While Paradis was getting the skid loader, the deputies started shooting at the bull. At least one of them had a semiautomatic rifle, perhaps an AR-15, an adaptation of the military M16.

“They opened up with their pistols and their M16s ... before Jack got there,” Paradis said.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/article43673037.html

So the deputies saw the Y family arrive and leave. What did the deputies think was going to happen? They would come back or not come back? The nephew does not say in the written account if JY discussed with the deputies what he was going to do.

That initial gunfire at the bull did not kill it. JY was about to do it properly and humanely. After being shot by the deputies while lying beside the driveway, the bull got up and started a rampage towards all that were close. Then it laid down on the pavement - this is when JY aimed his rifle at the back of the bulls head. His shoulder was grabbed by a deputy. JY's rifle went off. JY was shot by deputies.

JY's shot, now aiming out of control, could have injured or killed someone. How many shots by the deputies met their mark? Did any go astray?

The above is from the family account - tend to believe all of it as I see nothing contradictory or illogical.

The bolded part is what I find illogical. WHY would the deputy grab JY's shoulder?

 

[bwt42]

I am still unclear on the timeline. It sounds like the deputies were shooting at the bull while at least some of the family were on scene. Did this occur because of the bull charging EMT's & others or did this volley of shots happen earlier? Also, would like to know what interaction there was between the family & LE before Y was shot.

 

[Woodland]

Paradis walked down to check out the situation. The injured bull had made its way back to the driveway and was lying in the grass.

Jack Yantis told Paradis to get a rifle, the family’s skid-steer loader (a small front-end loader) and a chain. Paradis in turn asked his aunt to the get the family’s .204-caliber rifle and bring it to the road.

Yantis took a small all-terrain vehicle, in this case a four-wheeler, down the driveway and parked it on the highway facing the animal.

While Paradis was getting the skid loader, the deputies started shooting at the bull.

“They opened up with their pistols and their M16s ... before Jack got there,” Paradis said.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/article43673037.html

This is the only full account of events so far - by the Yantis family.

 

[Sonya610]

The story is confusing. Was the bull lying down in the driveway BEFORE being shot multiple times?

Lordy, did the officers start shooting/wounding the bull when he was already lying down? I think many of us assumed they shot the bull BECAUSE it was charging at them. If they started shooting the animal while it was down then that could explain the comments regarding them "escalating the situation".

Paradis specifically mentions how "inhumane" the shooting was, which strongly suggests the bull was NOT charging when shot.

Paradis walked down to check out the situation. The injured bull had made its way back to the driveway and was lying in the grass.

“He knew he was home,” Paradis said. “He was hurt. But he is still an Angus bull on the fight.”

Jack Yantis told Paradis to get a rifle, the family’s skid-steer loader (a small front-end loader) and a chain. Paradis in turn asked his aunt to the get the family’s .204-caliber rifle and bring it to the road.

While Paradis was getting the skid loader, the deputies started shooting at the bull. At least one of them had a semiautomatic rifle, perhaps an AR-15, an adaptation of the military M16.

“They opened up with their pistols and their M16s ... before Jack got there,” Paradis said. “That’s an inhumane deal. ... This is a 2-ton Angus bull that’s pissed off, he’s hurt and psychotic. ... It was blazing down there and it sounded like World War III on this bull, because they got him charging at everyone again.”

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article43654638.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Woodland]

The story is confusing. Was the bull lying down in the driveway BEFORE being shot multiple times?

Lordy, did the officers start shooting/wounding the bull when he was already lying down? I think many of us assumed they shot the bull BECAUSE it was charging at them. If they started shooting the animal while it was down then that could explain the comments regarding them "escalating the situation".

Paradis specifically mentions how "inhumane" the shooting was, which strongly suggests the bull was NOT charging when shot.

UBM

It seems to me none of the Y family was present at the moment deputies fired at the bull - they left to get what they needed to put the bull down and cart it away. They heard the shooting and arrived back with equipment - the bull was charging at those close by. Then it laid down on the highway pavement - JY lined up his shot to the back of the bulls head.

Body cams and statements from witnesses present at that moment say ....?

 

[Woodland]

The Yantises, Paradis (pronounced PAR-a-dis) and a family friend, Joe Rumsey, were finishing dinner about 6:45 p.m. Sunday in the Yantises’ home ...

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/article43673037.html

Wondering what JR was doing throughout this incident. Strategically left out of the account so far for future use? Did he stay behind to do the dishes?

 

[Zuri]

This is just so sad. I don't understand why the body cams were off. What is the point of having them if you aren't going to use them? They aren't cheap and are a useful tool in determining sequence of events in many different situations. Such a senseless loss.

 

[sassyblue]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article43654638.html

Donna Yantis said she and Paradis screamed at the deputies to stop.

Shot in the chest and abdomen, Jack Yantis fell to the ground. Neither deputy went to check on him. Paradis and Donna Yantis started running toward him.

“And then they threatened me and my nephew ... threw us on the middle of Highway 95, searched us and handcuffed us, and wouldn’t let us go take care of Jack,” Donna Yantis said.

Paradis said one deputy pointed his gun at Paradis’ head.

Donna Yantis had a heart attack. Some time later, she was taken by ambulance to Midvale and then by helicopter to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she remained hospitalized Saturday.

Rumsey, the family friend at dinner, had been near the wrecked car when the shooting started and ran toward Jack. The deputies handcuffed him, too.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article43654638.html#storylink=cpy

 

[ReadySet]

This is from the town hall meeting in Council last night. It sounds to me like the sheriff wanted to
turn over the investigation right away and have someone else be in charge, which, IMO is wise and probably part of protocol in a situation like this. He says he didn't look at the body cam videos. I don't know much about
procedures with the body cams. Are they supposed to be on even if the LE stop is for a stop where they know it's an
accident and not for potential criminal activity? I don't know.


Lots of questions from citizens Tuesday night focuses on whether video evidence of what happened had been captured of dash and body cameras? The sheriff said that because dash and body cams were turned over to ISP immediately, he never had a chance to look at them and doesn't know if they were turned on during the confrontation.

http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2015/11/11/town-hall-meeting-addresses-shooting-death-council-rancher/75556400/

 

[sassyblue]

Jack Yantis’ wife, Donna, was standing about 20 feet away from her husband when deputies shot and killed him.

Shortly after the shooting she suffered a heart attack and was transported to a Boise hospital where she remains hospitalized.

In a videotaped statement made from her hospital bed, Donna Yantis, 63, gave this account of the incident:

“On Nov. 1 at approximately 7 p.m. Adams County Sheriff’s Department called and told us there was a bull that got hit and they wanted us on the scene and he was mad. So we went down to check it out. I took Jack his gun so he could put the bull out of its misery. When he walked up there and was gonna put him down the officer came up and jerked him back almost off his feet. I don’t know what they told him, but they just opened fire and shot him. And then they threatened me and my nephew, Rowdy Paradis, threw us on the middle of Highway 95, searched us and handcuffed us and wouldn’t let us go take care of Jack.”

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article43812258.html#storylink=cpy

 

[sassyblue]

The couple who hit the bull:

She says Jack was able to get out of the car on his own, but Doris had to be cut out by paramedics. Both of them were in such bad shape they were taken to a hospital by air ambulance to Boise and put in the intensive care unit.

Ellis says it's been a horrible whirlwind, and while Doris and Jack are slowly recovering, it's frustrating to watch the story unfold.

http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/loca...gil-family-of-couple-driving-speaks/75438844/

 

[Sonya610]

Note the sheriff says "The officers went up to attempt to put the animal down..."

He didn't say the officers "fired in an attempt to stop the bull from charging" he used the term "went up". I believe Yantis went to get the gun and the officers decided to "do it themselves" while the bull was lying in the grass. They messed it up and ended up shooting the bull several times leaving the animal alive and suffering.

That would explain the comment about escalating a bad situation.

[video=youtube;mPHF9IUtko0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPHF9IUtko0[/video]

 

[sassyblue]

I live outside of Boise, ID in an area that has small acreage parcels ranging from 50 to 10 acres. Everyone on our street have either horses or cows or both. Several years ago my neighbor directly across the street had all 6 of her horses get out on the road. We found out later that night that every gate on her property had been opened and it's still a mystery how that happened but a young teenage girl hit one with her car and as is common the mare's legs were shattered and the she ended up on top of the car before eventually landing in the middle of the road. The accident created a terrible noise and woke the entire neighborhood so after calling 911 we all ran to the road praying the entire way that it wasn't one of our own horses.

The young girl was banged up and couldn't get out of the car and the horse was in terrible shape....I've never heard a worse scream in my life. Ada county sheriffs showed up quickly and told the owner they could not put the horse down for her and that she would have to do it herself. Her husband was out of town and most of us were busy rounding up her other horses so it was awhile before the rest of us knew what the hold up was and why the horse was still screaming while firemen and paramedics were busy getting the young lady out of the car. Once it was known they could not or would not help with ending the mare's life another neighbor went and grabbed his rifle and did it.

Then it was the owner's responsibility to get the poor mare out of the road which another gentleman neighbor took care of. He moved her to our property across the road so I covered her with a tarp and then most of us women sat the rest of the night with our neighbor who refused to leave her until the livestock removal truck came the next morning. She tried to give her homeowner's insurance info to the sheriff deputies who refused it and said only that the driver's insurance would be contacting her in order to compensate her for the horse and she did receive a check later on. It was my first and only experience with a car versus livestock and it was eye opening.

I am having a difficult time understanding what happened to the Yantis family that night. Surreal to say the least.

 

[Portabella]

I don't for one minute believe the Sheriff does not know if that body camera was on or not.....Those men are his subordinates, even if ISP took them immediately, the Deputies would be called in to his office the minute he could get his hands on them. ISP does not move that fast I am betting, he knows...leads me to believe they were either off going against Protocol or .....can they be erased to wipe out any account...I know a dash cam can. I smell a small town dirty dept....the thin blue line....And ALL his Deputies know how to put down livestock...Well obvioiusly that is a big mouthful of smoke....cause they didn't....So that proves right there he is in CYA mode and that is probably why they are all so stressed and circling the wagons. I hope the truth comes out and justice prevails, but I have my doubts....Poor Family and Poor Bull.....IMHO

 

[Woodland]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article43654638.html

Donna Yantis said she and Paradis screamed at the deputies to stop.

Shot in the chest and abdomen, Jack Yantis fell to the ground. Neither deputy went to check on him. Paradis and Donna Yantis started running toward him.

“And then they threatened me and my nephew ... threw us on the middle of Highway 95, searched us and handcuffed us, and wouldn’t let us go take care of Jack,” Donna Yantis said.

Paradis said one deputy pointed his gun at Paradis’ head.

Donna Yantis had a heart attack. Some time later, she was taken by ambulance to Midvale and then by helicopter to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she remained hospitalized Saturday.

Rumsey, the family friend at dinner, had been near the wrecked car when the shooting started and ran toward Jack. The deputies handcuffed him, too.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article43654638.html#storylink=cpy

UBM

Thank-you sassyblue for finding where JR was during this ordeal.

We still don't have his moment by moment account of what happened - he seems to be the only person associated with the Y family that was present when the deputies began shooting the bull. Could be a good thing going forward.

So what happened after DY, RP and JR were handcuffed? We know that sadly DY had a heart attack and was rushed to hospital. Are any charges pending for any of them? By their account, they were prevented from helping JY and the deputies did not assist him either.

 

[Sonya610]

More on the town hall meeting. IMO the sheriff needs to stop whining about being "afraid" for his officers, for his kids, how his staff has been traumatized by mean words etc... and start talking about how justice will be served and the truth will come out.

He does NOT seem like the kind of man anyone would want around in a crisis.

All of the investigation is under one roof of government,” Brian Pearce said. “You’re looking at a crowd that does not trust government on any level.”

The crowd clapped a couple of times, including when someone asked, “If you’re so committed to the safety of the community, then why am I so scared?”

Sheriff Zollman said he tried to get more answers about the case from ISP on Tuesday, but the agency declined to release anything to him. Zollman promised that when the investigation was done, he would hold a meeting to talk to the community before talking to anyone else.

Zollman said he doesn’t know whether the deputies were wearing the body cameras they were issued; he said one of their vehicles had a dashboard camera. Deputies have been advised to wear them at all times now, and they’ve been advised that they’re always running.

http://www.kentucky.com/2015/11/11/4133159_sheriff-investigating-own-deputies.html?rh=1

 

[Sonya610]

Okay now this article says the cameras WERE being worn but possibly not turned on. I think when the sheriff said he had "no idea if they were on" he might have meant being worn.

One thing that is confirmed, is that the two Adams County deputies involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras during the incident.

Whether those cameras were recording, remains to be seen.

"Each officer was issued a body cam, one of the two vehicles does have a dash cam," said Zollman, "I have no idea whether those were on, whether they were activated."

ISA said that the costs surrounding the use of body cameras goes well beyond the purchase price. It includes the expense of storing the data, a cost that many small counties in Idaho do not have budget to support.

http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/2015/11/11/body-camera-policies/75608774/

The part about "storing data" makes no sense. They don't need to "store data" if nothing happens (though it would help with minor complaints filed later). They could have the cameras record a few hours of data and then overwrite it unless there was an incident like this, then they store the data.

Someone here said the dash cam was not on either. I think those officers just didn't feel like using any of the cameras and apparently the Sheriff didn't care since there wasn't a policy in place until "now".