Post Falls police officer justified in deadly I-90 shooting

Garrett Cabeza, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·2 min read

Apr. 22—The Post Falls police officer who shot and killed a man who rammed police cars during a December chase on Interstate 90 was justified in using deadly force, according to the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office.

In a letter to the Coeur d'Alene Police Department, which investigated the shooting, Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Mortensen wrote Officer Daniel Koontz "acted reasonably, appropriately, and most importantly, lawfully" when he shot 57-year-old Randy Ness multiple times.

"Officer Koontz fired his weapon in an attempt to defend himself, Officer Brandon Nigh, and others from the deadly threat Randy Ness presented himself to be," Mortensen wrote.

Ness was reportedly involved in more than one hit-and-run in Post Falls.

Officers located Ness and tried to conduct a traffic stop in a gas station parking lot just north of the I-90 on-ramps along Spokane Street, according to Mortensen. Ness rammed one police vehicle and then backed into another as he eluded officers.

He fled onto westbound I-90 where a police car occupied by Koontz, a passenger and Nigh, the driver, followed Ness. Ness stopped his pickup truck on the interstate and Nigh came to a stop behind him.

Ness backed into Nigh's sedan, driving on top of and over the police car, causing the car to cave in around Koontz and trapping him inside.

Nigh was unable to drive the car away from the truck because of the truck's weight on the car, Mortensen wrote.

Koontz drew his firearm and fired a shot to try to "disable Ness and/or the truck." Ness' truck started to peel away from the police car, but the truck was still connected to the car and started pulling the car with the officers inside. Koontz fired another round as the police car was being pulled backward.

Ness started to drive toward oncoming traffic, still pulling the police car, which was no longer under the truck. Koontz fired two more times and got out of the car as it was being pulled backward toward oncoming traffic on I-90.

He fired three more times toward Ness and his truck, but Ness continued driving while pulling the car with Nigh inside.

Koontz ran to a point where he was parallel to Ness on the driver's side of the truck and fired 13 more times. Ness slumped over and the truck stopped.

Koontz ordered Ness to exit the truck, but Ness sat back up and accelerated again. Fearing Ness would drive into oncoming traffic, Koontz fired 16 more times.

Ness was struck by several bullets and died.

Ness placed himself and other drivers on the interstate in danger and threatened the lives of Koontz and Nigh, according to Mortensen. Mortensen concluded Koontz did not commit any crimes.

Multiple officers sustained minor injuries, according to Coeur d'Alene police. At least four vehicles, a telephone pole and two structures were damaged by Ness.