Idaho State Police dispatchers recognized for investigative work leading to arrest in January shooting

COEUR d'ALENE — A man has been arrested following a January shooting on Interstate 90, according to a press release from the Idaho State Police.

On Jan. 8 at about 9:30 p.m., a female driver called the ISP Regional Dispatch Center to report that someone had shot at her while she was driving on I-90 near the Beck Road exit. When a trooper arrived, he confirmed a bullet hole in the passenger side of her vehicle. The only evidence available was a blurry photo of the suspect’s vehicle, which was driven by a male.

Despite the limited information, ISP dispatchers Jamielyn Rupe, Parker Cooley and Haley Shields "meticulously reviewed video footage using multiple internal tools, searching for a vehicle that matched the image," a press release said. 

Through extensive research, Rupe was able to trace the registered owner to an older female from Cocolalla. Although the owner did not match the suspect description, a review of prior reports revealed she had a son with a history of erratic and violent behavior, the release said.

Reports indicated he had previously exhibited paranoid tendencies, made threats of violence and engaged in reckless driving, ISP said. Rupe provided the information to troopers.

ISP troopers, in coordination with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, responded to the son’s address. During the investigation, police say he admitted to the crime and was taken into custody. 

In a later interview, police say the suspect also confessed to a long history of brandishing firearms and engaging in violent acts, according to the press release.

The suspect has been identified as Jack Edward Gribbin, 24, of Coeur d'Alene. 

Cpl. Daniel Taylor emphasized the critical role of the dispatch team.

“Without the incredible work done by the dispatchers, there was no way we could have identified the suspect vehicle and ultimately arrested a suspect within an hour," Taylor said. "It is invaluable to have experts on your team who use tools, resources and sheer investigatory insight to impact a case like this.”

Taylor said without Rupe’s investigative efforts, law enforcement would not have been able to identify the suspect based on a blurry image. 

“Given the male’s long history of violence and threats, he would have done this again with potentially fatal results,” Taylor said.

Jamielyn Rupe received the Distinguished Achievement Award for her exceptional work, while Parker Cooley and Haley Shields were awarded Letters of Commendation for their teamwork in compiling and analyzing crucial data.