Arrested: Keith Earnhart, 39, Boise
Charges and Citations: Battery-Aggravated (F), Officer-Flee or Attempt to Elude a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle (F) Malicious Injury to Property (M), Disturbing the Peace (M)
On May 18, 2026, around 9 p.m., Boise Police officers responded to a residence on the 9000 block of W. Edna St. for a reported fight with a weapon. Officers were informed by dispatch that a white male adult wearing a black shirt had beaten an adult male victim with a metal pipe. As officers arrived, they found an injured victim and saw the suspect, later identified as Keith Earnhart, driving away. Officers began to follow the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Earnhart began driving at a high rate of speed through the intersection of Maple Grove and Fairview to evade officers. The suspect then immediately turned into a nearby parking lot, where officers performed a successful PIT maneuver, stopping the vehicle and allowing other responding officers to take Earnhart into custody without further incident.
The victim suffered significant injuries and was transported to hospital in stable condition. Earnhart and the victim are known to each other. Officers recovered the weapon at the scene and following an investigation, Earnhart was booked into the Ada County Jail on the listed charges. Following his arrest, officers identified Earnhart as the suspect in an unrelated road rage incident earlier that evening. Evidence indicates Earnhart approached a parked vehicle on the 11000 block of W. Chinden Blvd, yelling profanities and poking at the closed driver-side window with a cigarette. He then punched and cracked the rear driver-side brake light, causing approximately $467 in damage. While in jail custody, Earnhart was cited for misdemeanor Malicious Injury to Property and misdemeanor Disturbing the Peace.
“Officers demonstrated tactical decision-making throughout the incident, and the PIT maneuver was executed effectively to safely contain the suspect’s vehicle,” said BPD Lieutenant Cory Turner. “Their actions brought a dangerous situation to a safe resolution and prevented further harm to the community, with no damage to patrol vehicles or surrounding property.”