Racist Accused of Shooting Idaho Deputies Faces Weapons Charge

A man with white supremacist tattoos, accused of shooting and nearly killing two Idaho sheriff’s deputies last month, has been charged by federal authorities with being a felon in possession of a handgun.

That handgun, with an obliterated serial number, was found after Kyle Alan Batt was arrested Oct. 24, hiding in a garage where he unsuccessfully attempted to take his own life after shooting at Canyon County deputies Brad Childers and Mike Roth, according to court documents.

During an exchange of gunfire, Roth was shot in the chest at close range, but investigators say a bulletproof vest saved his life. The deputies were looking for Batt after he allegedly brandished a handgun during a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend and her father.

Batt sustained a gunshot wound to the head, but was arrested Friday at a Boise medical facility after receiving reconstructive jaw surgery and completing physical rehabilitation, the Idaho Statesman reported.

Batt has not been charged with shooting at the deputies because the Nampa Police Department hasn’t completed its investigation, the newspaper reported.

Batt has a 2004 felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance, preventing him from possessing firearms. He is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 3 on the weapons charge in U.S. District Court in Boise. If convicted of that charge, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Anti-Defamation League has identified Batt as a white supremacist with ties to hate groups including Hammerskin Nation, which hosted its neo-Nazi rock concert, Hammerfest, this year near Boise.

The Justice Department has assigned a special prosecutor from a gang unit to handle the case.

Ryan Batt, the suspect’s older brother, told the Idaho newspaper that his brother doesn’t belong to any groups and has long regretted the “white power” tattoo he got on his chest several years ago in prison.

Kyle Batt is the grandson of a deceased cousin of former Idaho Gov. Phil Batt and a distant cousin by marriage of Idaho State Rep. Gayle Batt, a Republican from Wilder, the Statesman reported. Both told the newspaper that they have never met Kyle Batt and learned of their relationship only after the shootings.