Post Falls officer released from hospital after last week’s shooting

A Post Falls police sergeant who was shot last week while serving an arrest warrant was released Tuesday in good condition from Kootenai Health.

Police said that Sgt. Justin Anderson will continue his recovery at home.

“He’s already asking when he can come back to work,” Post Falls Police Chief Pat Knight said. “That’s good news from our standpoint.”

Anderson was shot once in the abdomen by a suspect in a neighborhood south of downtown while serving a warrant around 8:40 p.m. March 3. The incident led to an overnight standoff with a county SWAT team that resulted in the death of 53-year-old Thomas W. Boland.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is acting as the independent agency conducting an investigation into the police shooting involving Anderson, who is a 12-year law enforcement veteran. He joined the Post Falls department in 2013.

Anderson belonged to the department’s bike patrol and special response teams, Knight said.

Before he is released for duty, Anderson must be medically cleared. He must also have a psychological clearance.

Knight said officers involved in shootings must pass a psychological review to be sure they are mentally fit for duty after a potentially traumatic event.

Police said Boland fired at Anderson as the officer attempted to serve a $7,500 misdemeanor arrest warrant because Boland had failed to appear at his sentencing following a conviction on two misdemeanor assault charges.

Although police said they had not positively identified the man last week who died in the house at 111 S. Bentley Place, the Kootenai County Coroner’s Office confirmed Friday the man found dead inside was Boland.

Coeur d’Alene Police said its part of the investigation could take 10 weeks.

“That may be contingent on any forensic lab analysis that would be required,” Police Capt. Dave Hagar said. “Once it has been completed it will be sent to the prosecutor’s office for review.”

An administrative review is conducted by an independent entity to determine if police acted wrongfully after a police shooting.

A Post Falls investigation into the standoff is ongoing.