Police officer on administrative leave after dog shooting incident over Memorial Day weekend

HEYBURN, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —In a press release, the Heyburn Police Department stated a neighboring law enforcement agency will be conducting an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of two dogs on the I-84 over Memorial Day weekend.

Their investigation will determine whether there were any violations of law and if there were any violations of the Heyburn Police Department Policy and Procedures. Upon completion, their findings will be presented to Chief Bertalotto for further action if appropriate and to determine if the officers’ actions were appropriate and/or reasonable in the best possible service to the Heyburn community.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Additionally, the police department said. “Our relationship with our community is our top priority. We are committed to resolving this issue quickly and providing the results and conclusions to our community with full transparency.”

A group of concerned citizens have a press conference scheduled at 6:30 pm Saturday in front of the Heyburn Police Department to address their concerns regarding the incident.

On May 27, 2023, around 5:50 p.m., Heyburn Police officers were dispatched by Minidoka County Sheriff to Interstate 84 near Mile Marker 211 for two uncontrolled loose dogs on the freeway, causing traffic safety concerns.

Officers arrived at 5:57 P.M. and found two large dogs running loose on the interstate. Two citizens risked their safety to try and capture the dogs to no avail. Officers made efforts to call the dogs to them, including whistling, calling, and shouting, but the dogs were uncooperative. The dogs were not in range to use a taser.

Recognizing traffic was heavy for Memorial Day, and in fear for the motoring public with great potential of rear-end collisions at 80 MPH, the officers made the decision to shoot the dogs at 6:03 P.M. Each dog was shot once and removed from the roadway. Neither dog had tags.