A Boise police officer shot a stabbing suspect. Was he justified? Here’s the decision

Nicole Blanchard
·1 min read
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A Boise police officer who shot and injured an armed man after the suspect stabbed a family member multiple times has been cleared of any wrongdoing, according to a Friday news release.

Officer Kip Paporello, a 24-year veteran of the Boise Police Department, shot and injured 30-year-old Jeremy Waste last November while Waste had a knife. Police were searching for Waste after the man stabbed his father in the neck multiple times.

On Monday, Waste was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for that and other crimes.

A Critical Incident Task Force led by the Meridian Police Department and Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs determined that Paporello was acting in self-defense when he fired two shots at Waste.

Footage from an unidentified officer’s body camera that was released Friday shows the officer parked his vehicle on Red Cedar Lane in Southeast Boise while looking for Waste. The officer approached Waste as Waste came down a hillside on a bicycle before crashing, and instructed Waste to show his hands.

Video shows Waste yelled — officials said he shouted “I want to get shot, I want to go to heaven” — and ran toward the officer. According to the news release, Waste was armed with a knife.

The unidentified officer’s body camera shows he used his patrol car to try to avoid Waste while again instructing him to show his hands and get down. Waste then ran toward Paporello, who was approaching from the hillside. Paporello fired two shots at Waste as he charged.

Paporello’s body camera footage was not released.