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Garden City police shooting ruled justified, police release body camera footage

Police shooting.jpg
Posted at 5:58 PM, Aug 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-12 20:15:58-04

BOISE, Idaho — Garden City Police and the Ada County Critical Incident Task Force announced an April shooting was ruled justified and footage from a body camera video worn by the officers involved was released.

"Based on the facts gleaned from that investigation I have determined that the homicide was justifiable under idaho law and therefore my office has declined to file criminal charges," said Brian D. Naugle, Valley County prosecuting attorney.

Officers arrived to a home in the 5100 block of N. Quinella Street in Garden City April 13 around 1 a.m. for a disturbance call.

Body camera video shows when they arrived, 58-year-old Thomas Bunde's wife was sitting on the front porch and told officers Bunde had been drinking. When officers asked if there was any weapons in the house, she replied no, according to the video.

Garden City Police said it was later in the investigation they learned she had told officers there was no guns in the house because she had hidden the gun from him and didn't think he knew where she had hidden it. The gun that Bunde pointed was later found to be unloaded.

Related: Ada County Coroner identifies man shot by Garden City Police

Body camera shows once Bunde opens the door he walks toward the officer pointing a gun at the officer's head saying, "I'll blow your f***ing head off." Officers could be heard yelling at him to drop the gun before firing.

Officers cuffed Bunde and began rendering aid, one of the officers running back to his patrol car to grab his medical kit.

The release of body camera footage comes after Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said she had written a letter to Ada county's prosecuting attorney urging to release body camera video of incidents involving the Boise Police Department.

"The reason this (releasing the video in this case) and not Boise City is because the case at Boise City is still under investigation. So, the Critical Incident Task Force is still working on that case, and in order to preserve the integrity of that investigation we can not release the body cam video until that's done. The other piece in this, and in one case in particular is we do have pending charges against an individual that was shot and so there is also due process involved in that part of the case and as you know the Constitution has provisions for due process for all people involved. "
Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts

Ada County's Critical Incident Task Force signed an agreement of protocol in January of 2021.