Police to release footage from officer-involved shooting that left man dead

IDAHO FALLS – Idaho Falls Police says they will release camera footage showing what happened during a fatal officer-involved shooting on Monday.

The man who died was 34-year-old Marcos A. Cortez, according to Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor.

Idaho Falls Police Department spokesperson Jessica Clements tells EastIdahoNews.com the department is planning to release the names of the officers involved in the incident, along with police camera footage from the situation next week.

Clements says investigators are waiting for the next-of-kin to review the footage and have the opportunity to ask questions before it is released to the public.

The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Clements.

“That is our standard policy for any officer involved in a critical incident, officer-involved shootings included,” says Clements. “It is not indicative of wrongdoing.”

RELATED | Man dead following officer-involved shooting near Idaho Falls hotel

The situation began on Monday around 1:10 a.m. when an Idaho State Police trooper initiated a vehicle stop for a traffic violation near the Candlewood Suites Hotel on Pancheri Drive, according to a news release from Idaho State Police and the Idaho Falls Police Department.

“During the stop, the trooper requested additional units assist. As Idaho Falls Police Department officers arrived in the area, the trooper advised a male passenger fired at them and ran from the vehicle,” according to the release. “The trooper and arriving IFPD officers chased the man on foot. At this time, it is believed that the ISP trooper and two IFPD officers exchanged gunfire with the man during the incident which concluded in the area of the car dealership on the corner of Pancheri Drive and Yellowstone Highway.”

Nate Eaton, EastIdahoNews.com

Police provided medical aid to Cortez and EMS arrived to help, but he died at the scene. The exact “dynamics” of the shooting are under investigation, the release says. Nobody else was injured.

Several roads around the hotel were closed while police investigated.

The Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force is investigating the shooting, with the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office taking the lead. The task force is a team of investigators and professional staff from local law enforcement agencies who investigate police use of force and other critical incidents, the release says.

“IFPD and ISP will fully cooperate in this process but will not conduct any part of the investigation. The task force works with the prosecutor’s office, which reviews completed investigations,” according to the release.