One police chief from Idaho that allegedly broke the neck of one of his officers while demonstrating during a roll call just how to take down a suspect will not face charges.
Ryan Lee, the Boise Police Chief that took over the department back in 2020 after a sting serving on the police force of Portland Oregon, allegedly put Sgt. Kirk Rush in an extremely unorthodox headlock that resulted in damage to his spine and necessitated surgery. However, Clayne Taylor, the Clearwater County Prosecutor, claimed that there was just not enough hard evidence to win a conviction for the charge of felony battery.
“This decision was not reached lightly nor without angst, as it truly is a close call,” stated Tyler in a letter addressed to the Idaho State Police and Boise Mayor Lauren McLean which was discovered by the Idaho Statesman.
Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee might not have gotten charged in connection to an incident where he used a series of neck restraints on a Sgt, but it came close.
A letter from the Clearwater County Prosecutor details what when into his decision: https://t.co/JrD7C4xoey
— Margaret Carmel (@mlcarmel) September 2, 2022
Rush, who is attempting to sue the police department and Boise as a whole in civil court, makes the claim that Lee grabbed him by the neck with zero warning and struck him on the forehead, yanking his head back which resulted in the breaking of his neck back on the 12th of October, 2021.
As part of his letter, Tyler stated that one medical examination of Rush did not prove that the force utilized by Lee could have resulted in the injury.
The letter also makes the claim that Lee, while employed in Portland, was involved in another violent incident with a co-worker, bragged about all of his prior use of force, and would routinely ask other officers if they were planning to file workers comp claims after taking part in his training sessions.
Neither the Boise Police spokesperson Haley Williams nor Lee issued comment when questioned by the Statesman. However, Chuck Peterson, Lee’s attorney, has previously dismissed the claims from Rush.
As stated in Rush’s civil suit, which was officially filed in April, the incident took place during the morning roll call as he spoke to his officers before their tours. Rush claims he handed the briefing over to Lee, who asked him to come back up in front of the group to show off a new restraint technique. Lee then allegedly quickly grabbed him by the back of the neck, forced him down, and walked him around the room while heavily taunting him.
Lee then let him go, as stated by the suit, but quickly struck him on the head, forcing Rush’s neck to hyperextend and producing an audible cracking sound. The lawsuit makes the claim that Rush suffered multiple bulging disks in his neck and a “possible C5 anterior process avulsion fracture” that necessitated surgery back in January.
