Kootenai County, ID: On Sunday, April 3rd, 2022, at approximately 1:52 AM, inmate Jesse Spitzer made an attempt to escape from the Kootenai County Jail.
Spitzer was in a one person cell when he was able to defeat his locked cell door. Spitzer armed himself with the metal leg of his cell desk and made several attempts to break windows and doors within the facility. Jail staff observed Spitzer outside his cell, locked down the jail and instituted inmate escape protocols.
Personnel with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Idaho State Police responded to secure the facility and ensure the community’s safety. Spitzer was located within the facility and after deploying a series of non-lethal ordnance to include sting ball grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas, he surrendered without further incident. One deputy sheriff sustained minor injuries and several uninvolved inmates suffered the effects of tear gas. All were treated by Kootenai County Jail Medical Staff.
The safe maximum capacity of the Kootenai County Jail is 361 inmates. The overall maximum capacity is 451. On this date, the inmate population was 412 with 20 inmates being housed in other jail facilities. Of the 412 inmates, 78% are incarcerated for a felony offense. The jail is currently short staffed 24 positions.
Sheriff Norris commends every member of our jail team in resolving this situation on this evening. The Sheriff said “I don’t think the public realizes the public safety that each member of our jail team contributes to this community. I am very grateful, and proud, of their dedication and commitment to public safety.”
Kootenai County, with its close proximity to the state of Washington, is feeling the effects of woke policies and sentencing of their criminal offenders. When one considers the aggressive growth that we are experiencing, coupled with the hiring challenges with Spokane being so close, the future for good public safety is concerning. The Sheriff stated “We have seen the failures of alternative bail programs, felony defendants released on a citation, or weak sentences on serious violent suspects across this country, and quite simply, they do not work. Holding the criminal population accountable for their actions will keep Kootenai County Safe and provide an incentive for criminals to change their behavior.”
Contact: Lt. K. Hutchinson
Office: 208-446-1401
sopio@kcgov.us