Boundary County man accused of shooting at law enforcement was intoxicated, searching for police on his property, deputy says

May 27-An intoxicated 50-year-old North Idaho man fired shots into the air outside his Naples home before he fired at a responding Boundary County Sheriff's deputy and Bonners Ferry police Chief Willie Cowell last week, according to prosecutors and law enforcement.

Samuel L. Siver then fled into Bonner County, which "caused a very large law enforcement response" before he was arrested, said Boundary County Prosecuting Attorney Andrakay Pluid.

No one was injured.

Siver faces two felony counts of aggravated assault upon Deputy Ethan Pittard and Cowell.

Pittard testified at a probable cause hearing hours after the shooting that he was working at about 2:25 a.m. May 20 when he received a report of Siver leaving his residence located on Stoney Trail Road outside Naples, with a firearm to "shoot up" his nearby in-laws' residence near Stampede Lake.

Pittard said he was driving to the Stampede Lake residence when sheriff's office dispatch informed him Siver was going back to his residence on Stoney Trail where his wife and child were. While Pittard drove to Siver's home, he testified that he was informed Siver was shooting a gun into the air.

Pittard said he and Cowell parked near a shop on Siver's property and heard Siver yelling near his house. Dispatch notified Pittard that Siver was walking around his home with a firearm. Pittard said he heard Siver yelling "fractured sentences," including "kill."

Pittard said dispatch told him that Siver's wife reported her husband did not threaten her and she did not feel threatened by him. Instead, she was more worried about the safety of Pittard and Cowell.

Siver's wife told dispatch that Siver knew law enforcement was at his house and that Siver walked out the front door to locate officers.

Pittard said he heard Siver yelling, "Where are you?" and to get off his property. He said he and Cowell retreated from the residence and turned his patrol vehicle's headlights on, which illuminated the front door of the home.

"Immediately after, I heard four shots ring out in quick succession," Pittard said.

He said he believed the shots were fired in the direction of him and Cowell, so he ducked inside his car and advised dispatch Siver was shooting at them.

"I was also in fear of my life that he was shooting in our direction at the time," Pittard said.

He said he and Cowell retreated farther down the road and called for more resources.

Although Pittard didn't see Siver or where exactly the bullets were directed, he said detectives later learned that Siver admitted on a phone call to a family member that he fired at law enforcement.

A judge found probable cause to support the two felony charges and issued a warrant for Siver's arrest. The Boundary County Sheriff's Office announced on Facebook that Siver was arrested at about 11:50 a.m., or about nine and a half hours after Pittard received the initial report.

Siver appeared the day after his arrest in Boundary County Magistrate Court where Judge Justin Julian set Siver's bond at $100,000, per Pluid's request. He has since posted bond, according to online Idaho court records.

Pluid said she was extremely concerned about the circumstances in the case, including Siver fleeing from law enforcement and his "substance abuse."

"The state has reason to believe he was very intoxicated at the time that this happened," Pluid said. "But also the access to firearms and the potential risk that he presents to his family, to law enforcement, to the community as a whole."

Siver argued there was no law enforcement pursuit.

"There was no lights, they left, I drove off," he said.

Siver is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday.

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