Newly published court documents unveiled more details surrounding the suspect shot by police officers after allegedly pointing a rifle at them on July 13.
As previously reported, the Rexburg Police Department said that on July 13, Christopher Ross, 37, was shot by officers in the garage of his home after pointing a rifle at them. The officers had been dispatched to his residence in response to a call about a domestic disturbance.
Ross, booked into Madison County Jail after surgery, now faces four counts of Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer and one count of Domestic Battery with Traumatic Injury.
According to a newly released police report by a Bonneville County detective, Ross’ wife told detectives that the two had an argument that night and that Ross had drank “at least a 12-pack of White Claw and possibly some hard liquor.” Ross had been in the garage because, according to his wife, that is where he hid the hard liquor from her. Ross had not been violent up to that point. However, when his wife thought she heard him try to take her car, she reached into the garage to grab her keys at which point Ross slammed the door into her arm.
Ross’ wife then called the non-emergency police line saying her husband was “going crazy” and that she needed “someone to come get him out.” She also told the dispatcher about her injury and that there were guns and knives at the home.
Four Rexburg police officers were dispatched and arrived at the scene around 3:29 a.m.
The report said that body cam footage captured that night shows that when the officers arrived at the residence, the exterior front house lights turned off and the garage was open. Ross was located standing behind miscellaneous household items. Officers told him to come out before he raised an AR-15 at them. The officers called out that he had a gun and told him to drop it before they fired at him.
The officers had him lay face down, handcuffed him and then provided medical treatment, after which he was transported to the hospital. In addition to the rifle, police found a pistol in his waist band.
The case is under investigation by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
