A Kendrick man is under arrest in connection with the shooting of another man early yesterday (Tue) morning just north of Juliaetta.
According to the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, 20-year-old Wyatt Roetcisoender was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated battery and taken to the Nez Perce County Jail.
Officers were called to North Juliaetta Grade just before 4:40 a.m. Tuesday for a reported shooting at a residence. When they arrived, they found 45-year-old Travis Welles of Juliaetta, with a gunshot wound to his chest.
Welles was flown by air ambulance to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston where he is being treated and is reportedly in stable condition.
According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, Welles and witnesses at the scene allegedly identified Roetcisoender as the perpetrator of the shooting.
After investigators served a search warrant at the North Juliaetta Grade property, Roetcisoender agreed to meet at the sheriff’s office, where after an interview, he was arrested.
Nez Perce County Prosecutor Justin Coleman says the shooting appears to have been the result of a disagreement that escalated. Alcohol was involved and Roetcisoender appears to be claiming self-defense.
