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Lawsuit alleges Bureau of Indian Affairs officers “executed” unarmed Shoshone-Paiute man in Idaho
The lawsuit alleges two Bureau of Indian Affairs officers unlawfully pursued and fatally shot unarmed Cody Whiterock outside their jurisdiction, seeking damages and officer identities.
On March 2, 2024, Cody Whiterock was shot and his family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging two unnamed Bureau of Indian Affairs police officers chased and shot him multiple times near Idaho Route 51 in Owyhee County.
After the ranch owner called 911, the lawsuit says the BIA lacked jurisdiction to pursue Whiterock off the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, with no memorandum of understanding with local Idaho law enforcement.
Records and the lawsuit give conflicting accounts of an altercation, a rifle-muzzle strike, and four close-range gunshots; Whiterock's body was found about 200 yards from the roadway.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction, the officers' identities, and damages; the FBI declined to investigate while Idaho State Police conducted an inquiry, and the BIA has not identified the officers or commented.