On Saturday, March 18, 2023, Idaho County deputies were implicated in an officer involved in the shooting during a pursuit.
An Idaho County deputy attempted to stop a gray pickup truck traveling 76 miles per hour in a posted 55 mile per hour zone on Highway 162 near mile marker 11. While the deputy was trying to catch up with the vehicle, he continued at the same high speed. , and was observed to be driving in the wrong lane.
The deputy activated his ceiling lights and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle slowed down but did not stop until just short of the stop sign at the intersection of old Route 7 and Route 162.
As the deputy attempted to contact the suspect, the suspect vehicle took off, continuing north on Meadow Creek Road. The suspect vehicle stopped, turned around, causing the deputy to turn around.
This circle continued several times, with the deputy exiting and re-entering his vehicle, attempting to stop the driver. The suspect’s pickup truck repeatedly rammed the deputy’s patrol vehicle, pushing it off the road and rendering it inoperable. By this time, three more deputies in three separate patrol vehicles had arrived.
The second deputy was parking his patrol vehicle in front of the suspect vehicle, attempting to block the suspect’s vehicle, when the suspect vehicle took off, hitting the second patrol vehicle. The second deputy was able to pull out into a field, turn around and continue after the suspect vehicle. At this time, the third and fourth deputies were behind and were chasing the suspect vehicle.
At a residence on Meadow Creek Road, the suspect vehicle struck a flatbed pickup truck, backed up, and rammed a second time. The suspect vehicle then slammed into the corner of the house near the garage, backed up and rammed it a second time.
The second deputy arrived and parked his patrol vehicle and drove to the house to check on the residents of the house.
The Third and Fourth Deputies had stopped and exited their patrol vehicles, attempting to get the driver to stop and exit his vehicle, when the driver accelerated and rammed the Fourth Deputy’s patrol vehicle, rotating it 180 degrees. At this time, a deputy fired a single shot at the vehicle.
The suspect continued to drive, again colliding head-on with the second deputy’s parked patrol vehicle, which rendered the suspect’s vehicle inoperable.
Several other deputies arrived at the scene, including help from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was taken into custody.
Justin Brannan, 39, of Grangeville, Idaho, was arrested for felony escape, felony malicious injury to property for hitting three patrol vehicles and the residence on Meadow Creek Road, felony aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, offense of resisting and obstructing, and offense of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Sheriff Doug Ulmer believes in transparency and has shared as many details as possible with the public so as not to interfere with the Idaho State Police investigation into this incident.
No further comments will be made at this time.