Sheriff's Deputy Brian Wood one of two deputies on scene when Council rancher Jack Yantis was shot and killed has released his statement in two long Facebook posts detailing his side of that night.
In the post Wood says Yantis was going to fire in an unsafe direction to put down a bull. “His rifle was pointed directly toward all the firefighters, EMTs, bystanders, and victims at the crash site.” said Wood.
Wood goes on to write:
“Yantis's complete disregard for human life in the careless and dangerous way he handled his loaded rifle was of great concern to me, but I still thought I was dealing with a very serious safety problem, and didn't expect Yantis to further escalate the situation to violence.
I ordered Yantis to point his rifle down. He did not.
I ordered Yantis a second time, to point his rifle down. He did not.
Yantis was still holding the rifle at waist level, pointed toward the people at the crash site.
I heard Deputy Rowland to my left giving a command, and immediately Yantis turned from me to Deputy Rowland (slightly to Yantis's right).
Yantis then shoved his rifle forward and upward directly toward Deputy Rowland's chest.
Recognizing Yantis's obvious threat, or attempt, to murder Deputy Rowland, I raised my rifle toward Yantis's chest. While I was raising my rifle, I heard a gunshot. I believe the gunshot was from Yantis's rifle. The next shot I heard was from my own rifle. I fired my rifle at Yantis's chest multiple times.”
The Idaho Attorney General's office citing a lack of evidence decided to not pursue charges against Wood or Deputy Cody Roland. Wood's statement contains many of the same details as the Attorney General's report, however it contradicts the statements of Donna Yantis, the wife of Jack Yantis.
