Ada deputy stabbed, shot in I-84 incident at Boise hospital

The deputy injured during a confrontation with a man who was fatally shot on Interstate 84 in Boise remains in the hospital more than a week later, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, which released new information Wednesday.

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He was stabbed by the suspect and hit by gunfire from deputies who killed the attacker — and in the process saved their colleague’s life, Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said.

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“The deputy, who is being treated for stab and gunshot wounds he sustained during the struggle, has undergone several surgeries and has begun what appears to be a lengthy recovery,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

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Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 2 a.m. dispatch call on April 10 and said they found 40-year-old Jared Decker, of Boise, walking in the eastbound lanes of I-84 near Eisenman Road. A caller said he had seen two trucks “swerve out of the way to avoid hitting the man,” according to the sheriff’s office.

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“Deputies arrived moments later and tried to talk to the man and asked him to get off the highway,” a news release said. “The man, who was walking a bike, refused, yelled at the deputies, and kept going.”

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Deciding to take Decker into custody after a few minutes, one of the deputies grabbed his backpack, at which point Decker “swung around and grabbed the deputy.” During a struggle, Decker pulled out a knife and stabbed the deputy multiple times as they fell to the ground, according to the release.

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Two other deputies fired their guns at Decker. One of their bullets “either directly or indirectly” struck the legs of the deputy who had been stabbed, according to the sheriff’s office. The release said the “stabbing injuries will likely result in long-term and demanding recovery,” but the wound from the bullet “does not appear to be significant.”

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Deputies performed first aid on Decker until paramedics arrived to take him to a local hospital at 2:46 a.m., according to the Ada County Coroner’s Office. Decker was pronounced dead at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise at 3:06 a.m., the coroner said. The cause of death was “multiple gunshot wounds of the torso.”

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An Ada County deputy put the injured colleague in a patrol car and drove to meet an ambulance closer to Boise, according to the sheriff’s office.

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After reviewing initial reports, Clifford said the deputies who shot Decker “saved the other deputy’s life by stopping Decker from continuing to attack with the knife,” according to Wednesday’s news release.

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“The violence erupted so suddenly, and they did not hesitate. Not for a second,” Clifford said in the release. “Their quick decision-making during such a confusing and chaotic situation stopped a fatal attack. I am beyond grateful.”

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The Ada County Sheriff Employees’ Association has set up a fund at Idaho Central Credit Union for the injured deputy. Donations can be made at ICCU under ACSEA account No. 737631173 or via Venmo to @ACSEA.

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The Ada County Critical Incident Task Force is investigating the incident, which happens after shootings involving law enforcement.

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The sheriff’s office said it plans to review its use of force policy to “help determine what happened and what our agency can specifically learn from this encounter if similar situation occurs in the future.”