Complaint draws apology from Sheriff

Dear editor:

I am writing concerning an event that occurred early this morning (July 8) and the lack of law enforcement support.

My husband and I decided to go out to the old hill off of Bypass Road to have a late night picnic and look at the stars. We're on top of the hill sitting there and a pick-up truck comes down one of the dirt roads with one of the people inside shooting a .22 from the window of the moving truck. They're below us driving in circles taking various shots at animals (would like to point out that it is NOT rabbit season! Isn't poaching illegal?).

So we call Elmore County Sheriff and tell them what is going on. We are told they're sending a car out. About 40 minutes later the driver of the pick-up decides to go on top of the hill where we are watching them. He parks his truck about 150 feet away from our truck, gets out and starts shooting at the rocks around us causing his bullets to ricochet all around us and over our heads. We were forced to hide behind our truck. Had we not, we would have been shot.

While these bullets are flying around us we dial 911 tell the dispatch we already called and as we are speaking to them bullets are flying overhead, they tell us they will expedite the officer out. We also gave them very specific instructions as to where we are and how to get to us.

Thirty minutes later the sheriff's car finally shows up, but goes to the wrong location. We call dispatch again telling them their sheriff is in the wrong area. By this time the pick-up had gone back down the side of the hill and parked in the area where the lava rock excavation is going on. My husband tells dispatch exactly how to get to the truck and exactly where it is. We are told to flash our lights to the sheriff so she could know where to go. She finally comes over to the proper roads to take to get to the pick-up truck, drives about 200 feet onto the road, flashes her spotlight around, turns around and leaves!

Since when did law enforcement stop protecting the citizens?

Tatyana and Michael Pray

(Editor's note: We asked Sheriff Rick Layher to respond to this letter. Layher said he appreciated the matter being brought to his attention and after an internal review of the incident he freely admitted "that we screwed up. It shouldn't have happened." He offered his public apology to the couple and said corrective action has been taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.)