Police release name of knife-wielding man fatally shot outside Preston grocery store

Stokes Marketplace

PRESTON, IDAHO — Authorities have released more information and the identity of the man who was killed by law enforcement Tuesday night at Stokes Marketplace. The details were provided as a task force of outside detectives continue to piece together what led to the officer-involved shooting.

Pocatello Police Lt. Eric Anderson said officers have confirmed that Raul Antonio Menjivar-Saabedra died at the scene after being shot. The 50-year-old man, who originally was from El Salvador, was working on a dairy farm in Grace.

Menjivar-Saabedra was fatally shot by law enforcement after brandishing a knife on them outside the grocery store. Officers first shot him with a Taser. When the Taser didn’t stop him, police reportedly fired, killing him.

Anderson explained, detectives are still determining what Menjivar-Saabedra was doing in the grocery store and what happened during the lengthy standoff with law enforcement in the parking lot.

“They are still going through body cam footage and looking for cameras around the intersections, so they are still going through everything,” said Anderson.

The incident began to unfold around 8:30 p.m. when law enforcement was called to the store to investigate a report of a suspicious man at the store.

Because the incident involved officers from the Preston City Police Department and deputies from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Pocatello Police Department is leading the investigation as part of the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Team.

Menjivar-Saabedra’s body was transported to the Idaho State Crime lab in Boise for an autopsy.

Anderson could not say how many officers or deputies opened fire on Menjivar-Saabedra. Their names have not been released. They have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.


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7 Comments

  • Free Bird November 21, 2019 at 5:19 pm Reply

    If this person is here illegally, and the officers acted accordingly, the dairy farmer that hired him should pay all of the expenses of all the law enforcement and investigations.
    So much for cheap labor.

    • Jules November 24, 2019 at 12:31 pm Reply

      Useless comment. Nothing in this article indicates he was illegal. Or do you just assume everyone with a Hispanic name from South America is illegal? Sounds pretty racist to me. Also to insinuate he was affiliated with MS-13 is completely unwarranted. Stop listening to Alex Jones conspiracies. I feel sad the officers that were put in this situation, and I feel sad for this man and his family. Try and be just a little compassionate about the taking and loss of life. Jerk racist move.

  • Tanya Taylor November 21, 2019 at 9:58 pm Reply

    No need to kill him. ONE officer could fire a shot in the leg that would bring him down. No one knows what was going on with this man. Maybe he was ill. Maybe he was high. Maybe he had a mental break. No need to kill him!

    • Stephanie November 22, 2019 at 2:50 am Reply

      Agreed. And I’m sure if he was a white man fresh off his mission, people would be way more outraged about this use of leathal force! However, because he was an immigrant, “the Cops did the right thing”. So sad. He needed help, not murder. My condolences to his family & friends.

    • Free Bird November 22, 2019 at 4:53 am Reply

      You obviously know nothing about MS13, feel free to educate yourself.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS-13

  • Support our officers November 21, 2019 at 10:52 pm Reply

    Really how can you even say that. Were you there ?did you see him? If someone gets shot with a taser and is still coming after you and your life is in danger you end the threat to yourself and others.

  • tbob November 22, 2019 at 10:43 am Reply

    Tanya – so what if he was ill? That does not lessen the threat.
    You are correct that the police do not know what was going on with this man. They only know that he was brandishing a knife.

    Read up before you make emotional statements like “ONE officer could fire a shot in the leg”.

    Shoot to wound = dead cops and dead civilians

    cops don’t shoot to wound and they don’t shoot to kill. they shoot to stop the threat. If you don’t want to get shot….don’t pull a knife on a cop.

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