Car chase ends with troopers firing at suspects

Two suspects were injured after a car chase ended with shots being fired by Idaho State Police troopers Monday night in northern Kootenai County.

The unnamed suspects - a man and a woman - were taken to Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene with unknown injuries, said Lt. Stu Miller of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department. They will face criminal charges, he added.

Miller said the incident began with a traffic stop for a "simple traffic violation" around 7 p.m. on U.S. 95 at Ohio Match Road.

A state trooper approached the Jeep Cherokee, returned to his patrol car, then saw the Jeep speed off as he approached it a second time, Miller said.

The Jeep was pursued to Ramsey Road, then south toward Boekel Road when it stopped again. Miller said there was "some sort of exchange" between the two occupants of the Jeep and two state troopers before the officers fired an unknown number of shots.

Miller said the officers were not injured, and details about the encounter remain under investigation. It was not known late Monday night if the two suspects were struck by the gunshots.

Sheriff's deputies are handling the criminal investigation, which resulted in Boekel Road being closed westbound from U.S. 95 to just past Ramsey Road, Miller said. The state police will conduct an internal investigation of the incident, he added.