Early Thursday morning, 29-year-old Rick Alastor Newman was shot and killed by police in a standoff that happened in the Smith's parking lot at 19th and Oak. Friday morning a press conference was held on that incident where new information has come to light.
“Each of them signs on as a law enforcement officer to help people. Always hoping that each call does not end like this,” says Bozeman Police Chief Jim Veltkamp.
In a press conference Friday morning, Veltkamp shared details of the officer-involved shooting that resulted in Newman's death.
“The female had made suicidal threats and specific threats about killing other specific people, a fact that also increased officers' concerns,” says Veltkamp.
Chief Veltkamp explained, on Wednesday night, Bozeman Police got a call. Newman was threatening her mother with a handgun at their home in the area of 15th and Durston. When police arrived, Newman had fled with the gun. Hours later she was found in the Smiths parking lot off 19th and Oak.
“Additional officers arrived, and trained crisis negotiators began communicating with the female, hoping to de-escalate the situation and resolve it peacefully. The female repeatedly raised and lowered the handgun, with less lethal tools being used at least once,” says Veltkamp.
Veltkamp says around 1:45 a.m., Newman put the gun down and backed away, indicating she was giving up. But suddenly, she ran back to the gun and picked it up in a way that concerned officers.
Two Bozeman police officers fired rifles, and two more Bozeman Police officers as well as a sheriff's deputy fired less lethal weapons at Newman, including, according to the police chief, rubber bullets.
“After the shooting, officers approached as soon as safely possible but she was found deceased,” says Veltkamp.
Multiple investigations are currently underway with body-cam and dash-cam footage being reviewed. None of the responding officers were injured and those involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Although there is still a lot to be investigated in this incident, I asked Veltkamp if he felt it had to end with Newman’s death.
“From my knowledge, and the fact that they took two hours and 45 minutes trying to resolve it peacefully? That is the absolute last thing that any of them wanted. And seeing them back there after this incident? I promise that was written on everybody’s face,” says Veltkamp.
So, I asked if there is any sort of therapy offered to those involved.
“We have a wide variety of things we offer them. Various critical incident stress debriefings to try to help them process what they’ve been through. And hopefully, the goal is to make them whole. Back to what they were before they all experienced this event,” says Veltkamp.
