POST FALLS, Idaho – A suspect was arrested after allegedly striking a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office detective with his car.
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), on July 11th at approximately 12:45 p.m., detectives from the Special Investigations Unit were in the vicinity of Spokane Street and Seltice Way in Post Falls. They located Emanuel Zavala, who was wanted on multiple failure to register as a sex offender warrants.
Deputies attempted to apprehend Zavala in a gas station parking lot. Upon seeing detectives exit their car, Zavala reportedly entered his car, drove towards them, and crashed with the detective and his car. Fortunately, the detective managed to evade serious injury by quickly moving out of harm’s way.
Following the incident, detectives pursued Zavala, who barricaded himself inside a residence on Third Avenue near Spokane Street, resulting in a standoff.
The law enforcement response was swift and coordinated, with Kootenai County Deputies, Post Falls Police Officers and Idaho State Police Troopers converging on the scene. When Zavala refused to surrender, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office/Coeur d’Alene Police Department Joint Agency SWAT Team was dispatched. Eventually, Zavala surrendered peacefully.
Zavala faces multiple felony charges, including aggravated battery on a peace officer, felony eluding causing injury, several sex offender registry violations and probation violations. The detective struck by Zavala was examined at Kootenai Health and cleared with minor leg injuries.
