Lewiston police identify man fatally shot by officer

A Lewiston police officer responding to a report of child abuse Sunday night in the Lewiston Orchards shot and killed a 40-year-old man after he took an unspecified action with a firearm, according to a news release.

Lewiston Police Chief Budd Hurd said Cole Blevins was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, where he later died of his injuries. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings, Hurd wrote in the news release. His name was not released, pending the outcome of a multi-agency investigation.

According to Hurd, the officer responded at 7:30 p.m. to a residence in the 2000 block of Powers Avenue after receiving a report of possible child abuse. When the officer arrived, he contacted a juvenile male and Blevins, who identified himself as the child’s father.

“As the officer and man spoke inside the home, the officer perceived an action taken by the man involving a firearm as being life-threatening to both the officer and the child,” Hurd wrote in the news release. “The officer fired his service weapon, hitting the suspect. The officer immediately called for emergency medical assistance.”

There were no other injuries, and the child was released into the custody of his mother. The Idaho State Police Critical Incident Task Force will lead the investigation, which will be overseen by Clearwater County Prosecutor Clayne Tyler because of the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office’s close working relationship with the Lewiston Police Department. That relationship presents a conflict of interest, Hurd said.

“This is a tragic incident for all involved,” Hurd said in a statement. “As with all incidents where an officer is involved in a serious use of force, the investigation will be methodical and as thorough as possible.”

The incident was the first officer-involved fatal shooting for the Lewiston Police Department since Daniel T. Cook Jr., 36, died April 17, 2019, after a shootout with police in front of the Nez Perce County Fairgrounds on Burrell Avenue.

Cook spurred the shootout when he drove to Nez Perce Tribal Police officer Josh Rigney’s Lewiston Orchards home, knocked on Rigney’s door and shot the officer twice. Rigney, who was off duty, returned fire, but didn’t hit Cook. Rigney was in the hospital for almost two weeks.

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or at (208) 310-1901, ext. 2266.