IDAHO FALLS — An investigation into an incident involving law enforcement that resulted in the death of a Madison County man found that deputies were justified in their actions.
The prosecutor found that Landon Smith, 26, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a standoff with deputies, and he did not fire at them. His family members recall a loving father who struggled with mental health.
Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal said that the two deputies, Kyle Penney and William Stadtman, would not face any legal repercussions for their actions that night, according to a news release from Neal’s office.
Dashcam video released by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office shows Smith pulling out a gun and placing it against his head. While the video blurs and cuts out the moment Landon appears to have shot himself, a frame is shown that depicts glass debris coming from the vehicle in front of officers.
“Even though it is now with the benefit of video evidence apparent that Mr. Smith did not intentionally endanger the deputies when he took his own life, I simply conclude that under the circumstances it would have been unreasonable to expect the deputies to recognize that was his intention,” the release states.
Neal states that his role as a prosecutor is to determine whether deputies’ actions warrant criminal prosecution, not whether they complied with policy.
“Words are inadequate to describe the tragedy of these circumstances. The lives of Mr. Smith’s loved ones are forever changed by the decisions he made that night. The deputies and their loved ones are likewise permanently affected by the tragic outcome, regardless of my legal findings,” Neal said.
Smith’s family statement
“This was a man who was overwhelmed, exhausted and in deep emotional pain.”
Michaela Smith, the wife of Landon Smith, sent a statement to EastIdahoNews.com about the incident that says her husband was experiencing a severe mental health crisis.
“What unfolded afterward was the tragic result of a man who had been carrying immense internal pain for a long time. He had struggled with mental health for years, and that day, the weight of it all was more than he felt he could bear,” she said.
She stated that she had contacted law enforcement after Landon had told her that he didn’t want to live anymore. Her goal was to get help and ensure that he was found safely.
“It is important to me that people understand this was not an act of violence toward others. This was a man who was overwhelmed, exhausted and in deep emotional pain. He was not trying to hurt anyone else. He was suffering,” Michaela said.
Despite the outcome of the situation, she is grateful that Landon still had the opportunity to save other lives through his organ donation.
Michaela remembers Landon as a loving husband, a devoted father, and a compassionate, gentle man.
“He loved his work, he loved the gospel, and he loved learning and growing. His life was so much more than the worst day of it,” Michaela said. “You never truly know the daily struggles someone may be facing. I hope his story encourages greater compassion and awareness around mental health, and that families in crisis feel empowered to seek help without shame.”
Read Landon Smith’s obituary here.
Background
On Dec. 17, deputies with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office were looking for a vehicle that had been driving near South Ammon Road and 49th South earlier in the morning.
Madison County Sheriff’s Office had been seeking the driver of the vehicle, identified as Landon Smith, after he was reported to be involved in a domestic incident and had allegedly stolen a vehicle from a different home.
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Law enforcement believed Smith was armed and had the intention to commit suicide by police, and the sheriff’s office in Madison County had requested assistance in finding him from Bonneville County.
Bonneville County deputies found Smith on Ammon Road near Lincoln Road, where he had driven over the roundabout island and continued to elude deputies at a high rate of speed.
Smith was later found near Ucon again, heading north on North County Line Road.
A deputy performed a PIT maneuver on Smith’s vehicle, which caused it to veer off the road and into a gutter.
It was then that Smith produced a firearm and shot himself once.
Deputies fired at Smith, believing he was firing at them, but none of their shots struck him, according to the prosecutor’s report.
Smith was taken to a local hospital, where life-saving efforts were performed, but he died from his injuries on Dec. 21.
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