Arrested: Christian Pope, 20, Twin Falls
Charges: Assault or Battery upon certain personnel (F) – 5 counts, Enhancement, use of a deadly weapon in commission of a felony (F), Resisting or Obstructing Officers (m), Failure to appear – 5 counts, Probation violation, Petit Theft, Escape
On July 23, 2023, around 9:15pm Boise Police officers responded to the 3300 block of S Vista to recover a stolen vehicle. The calling party could see a subject inside the vehicle, which had previously been reported stolen. When officers arrived, and moved in to initiate contact with the suspect, the suspect drew a gun and fled from the vehicle. As the suspect ran between other cars in the parking lot to get away, he lost control of the gun and dropped it. Officers then attempted to make physical contact with the suspect and take him to the ground but as they closed the distance on him, the suspect pulled a knife, causing the officers to back off. The suspect then continued running. The suspect disregarded all orders to stop and, still armed with the knife, ran into a nearby hotel. Officers chased him through multiple hallways and through multiple floors of the hotel. Officers challenged the suspect in a hallway and deployed a taser, but it was ineffective. The subject then barricaded in a hotel utility room. Investigating officers identified the suspect as Christian Pope and BPD’s Special Operation Unit and Crisis Negotiation Team were called to the scene to assist with taking the suspect into custody. After several hours of attempting to negotiate a peaceful surrender, the suspect was extracted from the room. During the negotiations, officers obtained a warrant for Pope’s arrest and found he was also wanted on several outstanding warrants from Twin Falls and Ada Counties. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and later transported to a local hospital for a preexisting medical condition before being booked into the Ada County Jail on the listed charges.
“Boise Police Officers deal with some of the most demanding, dangerous situations an officer can face, and regularly do so with professionalism and courage. I am grateful for those officers’ willingness to engage in this work to keep our residents and visitors safe from those who choose to victimize other members of our community,” said Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar.