12/13/11 The Nampa Police Department reminds motorists to make safe choices this holiday season and choose to drive sober.
With parties and celebrations being under way during the holidays, the Nampa Police Department reminds motorists to make this holiday season safer for everyone by choosing not to drive while impaired. We know that the holiday season can be one of the deadliest and most dangerous times to be on our roadways due to an increase in impaired driving. In our continuing efforts to improve highway safety for the citizens of Nampa, The Nampa Police department recommends these simple tips for a safe holiday season:
- Whenever you plan on consuming alcohol, designate a sober driver before you start drinking and give that person your keys.
- If you are impaired, call a taxi or sober friend or family member to get home safely. Many taxi services and bars offer free rides home to party goers during the holiday season.
- Promptly report drunk drivers to law enforcement.
- Wear your seat belt, this is the best defense against an impaired driver.
- Remember that friends don’t let friends drive drunk. If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make arrangements to get where they are going safely.
Nampa Police Department uses education along with enforcement to keep dangerous impaired drivers off of the street. Nampa Police will once again remind motorists to make smart driving decisions by asking local businesses to display impaired driving safety messages on their reader boards during the holiday season. The reader boards will display such messages as “care enough to drive sober” and “choose a sober driver this holiday season.” Our hope is that as drivers look around, they will see numerous messages reminding them to drive safely this holiday season.
For those who choose to drive while impaired, the Nampa Police Department will be participating in the statewide impaired driving mobilization beginning December 17th. This mobilization is part of a nationwide campaign to crack down on drunk drivers. During this campaign, the Idaho Office of Highway Safety has provided grant money to the Nampa Police Department to have extra officers out looking for impaired drivers. Nampa Police also reminds drivers who choose to drive while impaired that the Nampa Police Department has a non refusal policy and any driver who is arrested for driving under the influence and refuses the breath test will provide an involuntary blood sample.
The Nampa Police Department wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season. We will be looking extra hard for impaired drivers during this mobilization to keep our roads as safe as possible. Remember, if you chose to drive impaired you risk being arrested, or worse, death. Last year, 81 people died on Idaho’s roadways due to an impaired driver. Choose not to be a statistic by driving impaired and killing yourself or someone else. Choose to plan ahead, have a designated driver, and an enjoyable holiday season.
06/09/11 Lindsay Stilwell Sentenced for Involvement in Officer Parsons Shooting
In a joint press release Bryan Taylor, Canyon County Prosecutor, and Bill Augsburger, the Chief of the Nampa Police Department, announce today that Lindsay Stilwell, age 26, was sentenced by the Honorable Bradley Ford for the crimes of Harboring a Felon and Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver. Stillwell pled guilty on April 4th, 2011.
Judge Ford sentenced Stilwell up to a 12 year sentence on the Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver charge with a minimum of 2 years up to 10 years, and up 5 year sentence on the Harboring a Felon charge with a minimum of 2 years up to 3 years.
On the harboring a wanted felon charge; on December 16th, 2010, Stilwell went to the residence where Patrick Green was hiding from police. Stilwell brought him alcohol and cigarettes and offered to help him evade capture by police. Stilwell had previously provided him with her handgun and knew that he had it in his possession that evening. Green told Stilwell that he would not go to jail and would shoot a cop. Stilwell left the residence to get her vehicle to transport Green when she was stopped by police and questioned about Green's whereabouts. Stilwell lied to Officer Parsons of the Nampa Police Department about Green's presence in the residence and told the police that she did not know him.
Officer Parsons realizing that Ms. Stilwell was lying went to the apartment with other officers to try and locate Mr. Green. Upon the approach of the apartment, Patrick Green began shooting at the Nampa officers, and Officer Parsons was struck by a bullet, and sustained a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his head. Green was later found dead, by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Stilwell, later confessed that she lied to Officer Parsons, and that she was trying to hide and mislead police from the residence to keep Mr. Green from being arrested.
"These types of criminal actions as demonstrated by Ms. Stilwell are unacceptable," says Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor. "By lying, misleading, assisting, and encouraging criminal activity, Ms. Stilwell choices directly resulted in one mans death, and to Officer Parsons suffering from injuries that could have ended his life. Had Stilwell not lied to the police about Green and his intentions, different tactics would have been used to secure his arrest that would have prevented injury to the officer. I can not commend enough the courage and dedication our law enforcement officers give to all of us day in and day out to make our community safer."
"Justice was done today," said Chief Bill Augsburger. "My officers place their lives on the line everyday for the protection of our city. Officer Parsons is an exemplary officer and displays everything that the Nampa Police Department is about. Lindsay Stilwell is a criminal who continued to assist the criminal element in our city, and we will continue to work closely with the Canyon County Prosecutor's Office to make sure individuals such as her are held accountable and taken off of our streets."
For additional facts about the case, you can contact Bryan Taylor or Eleonora Somoza of the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorneys Office at 454-7391.
