Nampa shooting suspect identified, allegedly assaulted deputy

A Canyon County sheriff’s deputy on Wednesday shot and injured a 40-year-old man who was a suspect in another shooting roughly 1 mile away, the Nampa Police Department said.

Rolando Castillo — who was in possession of a handgun — allegedly shot and injured a motorist, then assaulted a Canyon County sheriff’s deputy before the deputy shot him, according to a news release from Nampa police Thursday. It’s unclear how Castillo assaulted the deputy.

Authorities said they located a gun that had been reported as stolen in Castillo’s possession. He was booked into the Canyon County Jail on suspicion of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and grand theft by possession, the release said.

Authorities said in the release that the aggravated assault was on the sheriff’s deputy. Nampa police spokesperson Carmen Boeger told the Idaho Statesman by phone that additional charges for shooting the motorist could follow.

The officer-involved shooting is under investigation by the Critical Incident Task Force, which is made up of agencies from Canyon and Owyhee counties, along with Idaho State Police. The Nampa Police Department is the lead agency, according to the release.

The department is also handling the routine investigation of the suspect’s initial shooting.

“The Critical Incident Task Force continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the assault on the deputy, and other charges may be forthcoming,” Nampa police said.

Nampa police respond to shooting report

At around 3:40 p.m., Nampa Dispatch received a report of a possible shooting near the intersection of Middleton Road and Flamingo Avenue, an initial release from the Nampa Police Department said. Castillo, while in a vehicle, allegedly shot another motorist. Boeger told the Statesman by phone that the motorist is alive.

The motorist provided a description of Castillo’s vehicle and which way he was headed.

A little over an hour later, at 5:05 p.m., the unidentified Canyon County sheriff’s deputy located the suspect’s vehicle near Cassia Street and Karcher Road, which caused the deputy to perform a traffic stop.

The suspect exited his vehicle and, at some point during the encounter, the deputy shot Castillo, who was treated and released from a local hospital. Boeger declined to comment further on his injuries.

The deputy was placed on paid administrative leave, a routine procedure, Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said in the release. The Statesman has reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information on the deputy.

“This was a tense situation that resulted in a deputy making a split-second decision in the name of public safety,” Donahue said in the release. “I am thankful the incident did not result in the injury of any additional individuals. Violent crime is present in our communities, and our law enforcement officers continue to put their lives on the line every day and night to protect our society.”