Fugitive from Idaho identified as suspect shot by Baker City officers
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, January 4th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – A fugitive with multiple warrants issued for him out of Idaho has been identified as the suspect who was shot by Baker City Police.
30-year-old Justin Douglass Burkeen of Boise is recovering in a Boise hospital, after two Baker City Police Officers opened fire after he pulled a gun on them during a traffic stop.
The traffic stop occurred around 2:00am on Tuesday, January 2 on Clark and Church streets in Baker.
Baker County District Attorney Greg Baxter says Burkeen was the passenger in the front seat in the vehicle that was pulled over. The woman who was driving the vehicle has not been named and Baxter says she is not currently facing any charges.
Details on the interaction between officers and Burkeen during the traffic stop have not been released, other than at some point, Burkeen brandished a firearm.
The officers who shot Burkeen have not been named and are still on paid administrative leave.
Baxter says Burkeen had multiple arrest warrants out of Idaho. The Idaho Department of Corrections lists him as a fugitive. According to court records, an arrest warrant was issued out of Ada County in August 2023 and he failed to appear for a probation review hearing in November 2023.
Baxter said he will convene a grand jury to review charges against Burkeen. Baxter says he’s also investigating an interaction Burkeen had with Baker City Police on November 25, 2023.
