A grand jury has indicted an Idaho Falls Police officer for shooting a man who was in his own backyard during a February manhunt.
Elias Cerdas who graduated from training less than a year before the shooting, was indicted Friday for felony involuntary manslaughter.
The Feb. 8 shooting left “Joe” Johnson, a father of four, dead behind his house.
East Idaho News reports the manhunt began when a Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled over Tanner Shoesmith for a broken taillight a few blocks from Johnson’s home. The suspect ran from deputies.
Police say a resident spotted the suspect running through a yard and believed he was carrying a gun.
A short time later, GPS coordinates from Shoesmith’s phone placed him in Johnson’s backyard, leading police to surround the home and draw their weapons.
Little is publicly known about the exact moments of the shooting.
Since the shooting, Cerdas has been placed on administrative leave and faces up to 10 years in prison and or a $10,000 fine if convicted.
