August 17, 2023 — The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office has been appointed as the lead agency for the Critical Incident Task Force (CITF) investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred yesterday, August 16, at the Treasure Valley Marketplace in Nampa. As previously reported by the Nampa Police Department, the incident involved a male subject who fled St. Luke’s Hospital and attempted to carjack a citizen in the hospital parking lot. The suspect then crossed Midland Blvd on foot before entering an area restaurant where he stole two knives. The suspect then attempted to carjack multiple other citizens before he was encountered by a Nampa Police officer, who ordered the suspect multiple times to drop the knives. The suspect refused and remained a threat to the public, at which point the Nampa officer fired his duty weapon, striking the subject. Officers immediately rendered emergency medical aid, but the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified as Adam Michael Trejo, age 37, of Nampa. An autopsy was completed by the Canyon County Coroner’s Office earlier today. The results of the autopsy and the toxicology report are pending. The Nampa officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard practice.
The Canyon County Critical Incident Task Force – which consists of the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Idaho State Police, Nampa Police Department, Parma Police Department, Homedale Police Department, and Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office – was immediately activated following the incident. Dozens of law enforcement officers from these agencies, along with Canyon County Crime Lab personnel, arrived to begin processing the scene, collecting evidence, and interviewing witnesses. Investigators from these agencies obtained multiple videos from citizens who filmed the incident and spoke to several citizens who witnessed the incident firsthand. Investigators also obtained security footage from several of the businesses in the area. The video evidence and witness interviews will be utilized in the ongoing CITF investigation.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that Trejo lunged aggressively towards a nearby citizen after being confronted by the officer, prompting the Nampa officer to discharge his firearm. Initial reports mistakenly stated that Trejo lunged at the officer rather than a nearby citizen.
“These are the types of situations that law enforcement never wants to find themselves in, but we all swore an oath to protect the community, and it’s one we take very seriously,” said Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “Unfortunately, these types of life-and-death incidents arise where officers are required to make split-second decisions. My office will continue to gather and review evidence and reports regarding the incident. Once our investigation is complete, we will submit our findings to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review.”
The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the witnesses who provided testimony and video footage yesterday to assist with the CITF investigation. If anyone else has video or information they feel would help detectives with the ongoing investigation, they are asked to contact CCSO Detectives at (208) 454-7480.