In the late hours of June 17, 1998, a tragedy unfolded in the parking lot behind the Idaho State Police headquarters in Coeur d'Alene that would claim the life of 33-year-old White/Caucasian female Trooper Linda Carol Huff. An accomplished and dedicated officer, she was ambushed by a male suspect who had arrived at the station on a bicycle. The quiet evening was shattered by a barrage of gunfire as the assailant shot Trooper Huff 17 times.
Despite the viciousness of the attack, her training and courage shone through as she managed to return fire, striking her attacker twice.
Even with her valiant efforts to defend herself, Trooper Huff succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Two of the rounds that struck her were stopped by her protective vest, but another tragically severed her spinal cord, paralyzing her from the waist down. The suspect, identified as Scott David Yager, was apprehended by law enforcement shortly after the incident as he was walking down the street.
The aftermath of the shooting sent shockwaves through the community and the law enforcement fraternity. On February 5, 1999, a jury found Scott David Yager guilty of the first-degree premeditated murder of a police officer. Subsequently, on August 16, 1999, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge in the case declined to impose the death penalty, stating that the prosecution had not sufficiently demonstrated the presence of aggravating circumstances to warrant such a sentence. Trooper Huff, who had served with the Idaho State Police for 14 months, was survived by her husband, who was also a trooper, and their three children.
