An Idaho sheriff allegedly shot his son in the arm last week.
On Tuesday night, residents of his small community voted to oust him.
New Plymouth Mayor Rick York was arrested by the Payette County Sheriff’s Office Thursday evening after deputies said he He shot and wounded his 30-year-old son during an argument because his son was “out of control,” according to a probable cause affidavit written by law enforcement and reviewed by the Idaho Statesman.
York’s son was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The bullet wound in York’s son’s arm was “deep enough to see bones,” the affidavit said.
York, who has been mayor since 2020 and previously spent nearly 20 years on the City Council, was brutally beaten by Lisa Pengelly, a real estate agent and certified life coach who will become the city’s next mayor. Pengelly received nearly 75% of the votes in the race, according to what he said Election results from the Idaho Secretary of State.
Pengelly He says there is a lack of communication between employees and elected officials
New Plymouth is a city of about 1,500 people located in Payette County, bordering the Oregon state border. Bingley told the Statesman in an interview Tuesday night before the results came in that she was “grateful that no one died” in the shooting and that York’s son was OK, adding that residents across the aisle showed sympathy for York and his family.
“We’re a small community, so we care about each other no matter who’s competing against who,” said Pengelly, who moved to New Plymouth more than a decade ago. Attempts to reach York were unsuccessful, and his personal attorney, Boise-based Aaron Huber, declined to comment.
Pengelly said the altercation did not change her goals for New Plymouth. Pengelly said the mayor’s job is a service one and that communication between elected officials and city staff was “lacking” during and after York’s term as mayor.
Bingley’s main priorities are improving communication with city staff and residents. This will include updating the city’s website and holding open meetings with residents to hear their concerns, she said, because currently there is no opportunity for residents to speak openly at council meetings about the issues.
“We have a lot of really great people who have really great ideas who don’t have a voice,” Bingley told the Statesman.
Argument details affidavit
York appeared in Payette County District Court on Friday. He was charged with felony aggravated battery, along with two felonies: possession of a weapon with intent to assault and use of a deadly weapon, online court records show. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison. According to Idaho law.
After a night in Payette County Jail, York posted $75,000 bail and was released from custody, according to Friday court minutes reviewed by the Statesman. He appeared at a New Plymouth City Council meeting on Monday night, where his criminal case was not mentioned. KTVB reported.
York’s next court appearance is at 9:30 a.m. Monday in Payette County Court, online court records show.
The three-page affidavit filed by the Payette County Sheriff’s Office provided detailed new information as well.
On the night of the shooting, York’s son came home “in an angry mood” and drank two cans of beer as well as a shot, York’s wife told police in a statement. York — who had also been drinking — and his son were “fighting back and forth” and began “screaming at each other,” the affidavit said.
“(York) asked him to get out of the house,” the mayor’s wife said in the statement, according to the affidavit.
York grabbed a small knife that his wife had taken from him, according to the affidavit. York then went into his bedroom, grabbed his .367 Magnum revolver, returned to the kitchen and pointed the gun at his son, shooting him in the left arm, the sheriff’s office said.
“If I wanted to kill my son, I would have shot him in the middle of the chest,” York told a detective during an interview, according to the affidavit. “I didn’t shoot him in the leg because there was a possibility of hitting an artery, so I shot him in the arm.”
