A long-time Boise Police officer and a police K-9 are back home recovering after undergoing treatment for gunshot wounds endured during a shootout with a wanted gunman on the Boise Bench Friday afternoon. Meanwhile,one officer remains hospitalizedwith serious injuries.
Boise Police Chief Bill Bones says due to the officer's condition, they've not yet been able to have a conversation with him which is why his identity has not yet been released.
"He is a fighter and he is a very, very tough, strong man," Boise Police Captain Ron Winegar said. "If anybody can make it through what he's facing, he can."
BPD says the officer has already undergone several surgeries with many more on the way and remains in critical but stable condition.
"There's going to be serious reconstructive surgery which is needed, and I expect it to be many months of treatment," Chief Bill Bones said. "Not days or just weeks."
Corporal Chris Davis and Boise Police K-9 Jardo were released from treatment Saturday and are now recovering at home.
While Davis is still dealing with quite a bit of pain, Captain Winegar say's he's improving each day with a positive and upbeat attitude that's even helping other officers cope with the situation.
"When you have something like this bring to light and reality, it's staring you right in the face the mortality of this kind of a thing. It's tough," Captain Winegar said. "So I think there are officers who have been rocked, myself included, by this incident."
Monday the Ada County Coroner's Office confirmed the gunman was in fact Marco Romero, a 33-year-old man Meridian Police say shot and injured two people inside an apartment complex last Tuesday, and car-jacked an 89-year-old woman Thursday. Romero was pronounced dead a the hospital.
There is a candlelight prayer vigil scheduled for the critically injured officer who remains hospitalized Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Idaho Peace Officer's Memorial.
BPD is encouraging kids in the community to create "Get Well Soon" cards to decorate the officer's hospital room.
