BOZEMAN — Just another ordinary day in law enforcement could potentially lead to the death of an officer. And that's exactly what happened to Bozeman native, Sergeant Nevada Krinkee, as he was attempting to serve a trespass warning in Sheridan, Wyoming.
“Every day there's a multitude of dangers,” says Bozeman Police Patrol Captain Joe Swanson.
Krinkee was shot and killed while serving a trespass warning to a man in Sheridan, Wyoming. Krinkee graduated from Bozeman High School in 2009 and joined the Sheridan Police Department in 2017 after serving in the military.
Swanson says a tragedy like this is something officers think about daily.
“From traffic crashes, being physically assaulted, verbally assaulted, shooting, stabbings, electrocution, drowning—I mean, really, the full gamut it can run through,” says Swanson. “There's the potential they could not return after their shift.”
Gallatin County is no stranger to officers killed in the line of duty.
In 2010, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper, David DeLaittre was shot and killed during a traffic stop just outside of Three Forks. He was just 23 years old.
In 2017, Broadwater County Sheriff's Deputy, Mason Moore, was killed while trying to pull over a vehicle. When the car refused, a pursuit ensued and the suspects ended up shooting over two dozen rounds at Moore, killing him.
WATCH: Sgt. Nevada Krinkee — A Celebration of Life
“The sixteen years that I've worked here, there's been a number of incidents where we've seen, you know, highway patrol troopers who've been killed, neighboring law enforcement agencies who've had officers killed or deputies killed,” says Swanson.
The Bozeman Police Department sent officers to Sheridan to honor Krinkee and his family. Swanson says an incident like this, especially with a Bozeman native, always hits home.
“We understand that delicate balance of life, and that his death was tragic and unnecessary,” says Swanson.
