BOISE, Idaho — Update: The Adams County Sheriff's Office announced over the weekend that William "Bill" James was apprehended and arrested on Saturday.
In a news release on Monday, the sheriff's office said they had received a tip late Friday night that James had returned to the home where the shoot-out with law enforcement had occurred earlier in the week.
Deputies from Adams, Valley and Idaho counties responded, along with Idaho State Police troopers.
James was then taken into custody without incident, the sheriff's office said. He is being charged with four felonies -- two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of assault with intent to commit a serious felony.
Original story:
The sheriff's office is asking the Adams County prosecutor to charge William Pearle James with attempted murder, assault, aggravated battery, and assault on certain personnel after a shoot-out with two sheriff's deputies and an Idaho Fish & Game officer, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The court document outlines what led up to the shootout in New Meadows that happened on the night of March 29, and explain why James should be charged with those crimes.
At about 5:35 p.m. on Sunday night, two Adams County deputies were called out to the home of James' mother when she called police stating that James was on her property and was violating a protection order.
The two deputies arrived in separate vehicles and both pulled into the main driveway because of the outbuildings. Deputy Benavides arrived at the home and talked with James' mother. When Deputy Sauerland pulled into the driveway, James allegedly started firing at the deputies with a rifle from a barn on the property. Sauerland was able to get out of her car and hid behind it. James shot at her patrol vehicle several times, nearly hitting her, according to the court document.
During the shootout, an off-duty Fish and Game officer was in the area and heard what was happening, according to the affidavit. The officer said he saw Sauerland and Benavides getting shot at and started searching for the suspect.
He then found James in the barn with a rifle and appeared to try to continue shooting at the deputies. The officer then engaged James with his handgun. He fired at James and said he last saw James running with an SKS (semi-automatic) rifle in hand.
The deputies and the Fish and Game officer were able to set up a perimeter around the home but couldn't find James, according to the affidavit.
As of Friday, April 3, James was still on the loose, according to a post on the Adams County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page. It read that one team is moving in while another moves out, and that efforts will not stop until he is apprehended.
Any with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately.
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