WEST BOISE, Idaho — Officers with the Boise Police Department arrested a suspect on Monday who is accused of beating an acquaintance with a metal pipe before fleeing the scene and eluding officers in a subsequent car chase.
BPD says it received a report regarding the alleged battery at 9 p.m. on Monday.
Responding officers were then dispatched to a residence near Maple Grove Road and West Edna Street, where they discovered an injured victim and witnessed the suspect driving away. The suspect was identified as 39-year-old Keith Earnhart of Boise.
Officers proceeded to pursue the suspect, who is said to have evaded a traffic stop by speeding through the intersection of Maple Grove Road and Fairview Avenue.
However, the suspect later turned into a parking lot where officers were able to execute a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver, stop the vehicle, and arrest Earnhart.
Authorities indicate that the victim sustained "significant injuries" and was transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
Officers ultimately recovered the metal pipe, and after an investigation into the events, officers booked Earnhart into the Ada County Jail for aggravated battery (felony) and eluding in a motor vehicle (felony).
“Officers demonstrated tactical decision-making throughout the incident, and the PIT maneuver was executed effectively to safely contain the suspect’s vehicle,” said BPD Lieutenant Cory Turner. “Their actions brought a dangerous situation to a safe resolution and prevented further harm to the community, with no damage to patrol vehicles or surrounding property.”
After taking Earnhart into custody, authorities learned that the suspect was allegedly involved in a road rage incident earlier in the evening. Earnhart is said to have approached a parked vehicle on W. Chinden Boulevard, where he poked a driver's window with a cigarette before punching and cracking a brake light, causing $467 in damages. Earnhart was later cited for malicious injury to property (misdemeanor), and disturbing the peace (misdemeanor).
