BOISE, Idaho — New federal court filings show that a Boise Police officer who was cleared earlier this year of wrongdoing in the shooting of an Idaho Department of Correction officer during the 2024 Saint Alphonsus prison escape is now at the center of another lawsuit.
IDOC Corporal Christopher Wilske filed the lawsuit against the City of Boise, Boise Police Officer Wayne Anderson, and Ada County, claiming the shooting violated his constitutional rights and never should have happened.
The lawsuit stems from the March 2024 escape of inmate Skylar Meade from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
WATCH: IDOC officer shot by Boise Police claims his constitutional rights were violated.
Idaho News 6 first covered the incident after investigators said Meade’s accomplice, Nicholas Umphenour, ambushed correctional officers outside the hospital, shooting two officers and helping Meade escape custody.
During Boise Police’s response to the scene, Officer Wayne Anderson fired at Wilske after mistaking him for a suspect.
Earlier this year, Idaho News 6 reported Valley County Prosecutor Brian Naugle concluded Anderson’s actions were legally justified under Idaho law after reviewing body camera footage and investigative records.
Now, Wilske’s newly filed complaint argues that responding officers failed to properly assess the scene before opening fire.
According to the lawsuit, officers failed to use an officer-identification code word designed to help prevent officers from mistakenly shooting one another during chaotic situations.
Wilske also claims he was wearing his IDOC uniform, standing inside the emergency room, and talking on his cellphone when Anderson fired at him.
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The lawsuit further alleges that dispatch warned responding Boise officers that other law enforcement officers were already at the scene before the shooting occurred.
Wilske claims Anderson’s use of deadly force was “objectively unreasonable and excessive.”
The City of Boise and Officer Anderson deny wrongdoing.
In court filings submitted in late April, city attorneys argued Anderson believed Wilske matched the suspect description and was armed when he fired.
The lawsuit also names Ada County, whose employees managed dispatch communications during the incident.
Ada County, the City of Boise, and Anderson are all asking the court to dismiss the claims.
Wilske is seeking damages for medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress, and future loss of earning capacity.
Court records show the parties are scheduled to meet in June as the case moves forward.
Idaho News 6 reached out to Boise’s Office of Police Accountability and attorneys representing Wilske for comment. As of publication, Idaho News 6 has not received a response.
