Whitefish man fatally shot by Idaho trooper

The man shot and killed near Lookout Pass in Idaho following a struggle over a gun with an Idaho sheriff’s deputy on June 12 has been identified as a 26-year-old Whitefish man.

According to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Alexander Mandarino was fatally shot around noon about two miles west of the Montana-Idaho state line on Interstate 90. Mandarino is a 2005 graduate of Whitefish High School and attended the University of Montana. His parents, Monte Mandarino and Laura Blankenship, live in Whitefish.

Idaho officers were dispatched to check on an orange Toyota Scion that was parked peculiarly in an eastbound turnout with the front tires off the pavement.

A Shoshone County deputy arrived at the scene with the Idaho State Police officer, and while talking to Mandarino, the two officers saw he had a handgun. A struggle reportedly ensued, and the Idaho State Police officer shot Mandarino. It is unknown how long the struggle lasted or how many shots were fired.

 Mandarino was transported to Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg, Idaho, where he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

Neither officer was injured, and both are now on administrative leave. An autopsy was performed on Mandarino. Toxicology tests could take up to two months, officials said.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident. They are asked to call 208-446-1300.