Man who shot Sandpoint officers stole gun from grandfather

Kyle Simchuk by Kyle Simchuk

The man who shot at two Sandpoint police officers as they responded to an apartment in the Ridley Village stole a handgun from his grandfather.

William Crawford said his grandson, 28-year-old Brandon Kuhlman, suffered from schizophrenia and that on the night of the shooting, he stole his handgun, and was high on drugs when he shot at police.

Crawford spent the day sweeping up broken glass, and cleaning blood off his kitchen floor, where Kuhlman died after shooting the two officers.

Crawford says his grandson, who lived nearby with his mom, recently stopped taking his medication. On Sunday night, Crawford, who lives in the Ridley Village apartments, went over to a neighbor’s and left his door unlocked. He says his grandson snuck inside and stole his handgun, the only weapon he doesn’t lock up.

When Crawford returned, he found his bedroom light on and his gun missing. Crawford went over to Kuhlman’s mom’s house to search for the gun. He even searched his grandson by patting him down, but did not find the gun.

Crawford brought Kuhlman back to his apartment and continued searching for the gun. He says his grandson was high on meth and heroin and was “out of his mind” seeing spirits, and paranoid that police were out to get him.

By 3 a.m., the gun was still missing. Crawford called police, and whispered into the phone, asking them to come arrest Kuhlman. When Crawford opened the door to two Sandpoint officers, Kuhlman pulled out the gun he had been hiding and shot them.

Crawford ran outside, suffered a heart attack, and collapsed in the snow. He remembers his grandson Brandon saying “I’m dying, I need an ambulance,” before collapsing to the kitchen floor.

Crawford said he is beyond thankful that both officers are still alive. He said his grandson was out of his mind, and had no control over himself or his actions, which cost him his life. Crawford said he did everything to protect his grandson, but it wasn’t enough.

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