SHERIDAN, WY — A Sheridan, Wyoming police officer was shot and killed Tuesday while trying to serve a trespass warning on a man near the intersection of Fifth Street and Val Vista Street, leading to a continued standoff.
Sgt. Nevada Krinkee, a six-and-a-half-year veteran of the department, was taken to Sheridan Memorial Hospital after the shooting, where he was pronounced dead, Chief Travis Koltiska said in a news release.
The suspect fled the scene after the shooting and was found in the area of Sixth Street and North Sheridan Avenue, where law enforcement established a perimeter after discovering he was barricaded inside, according to Koltiska.
"The entire department is shocked and saddened by this senseless act and appreciate all the thoughts and prayers from our community. Please respect the privacy of our brother Nevada’s family through this trying time," Koltiska wrote.
Members of the Sheridan Police Department, Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol all responded. Residents in the vicinity were evacuated.
Members of the Gillette Police Department tactical unit and crisis negotiators assisted, and a stand-off ensued and is ongoing, running as late as 3 p.m.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating and will provide further updates.
Kolstika did not identify the suspect. The Lander Journal reported that a BOLO alert (Be On the Lookout) was issued by Sheridan police for 46-year-old William Lowery.
Krinkee graduated from Bozeman High School in 2009 and joined the Sheridan Police Department in October 2017. His wife, Karla, is a corporal for the Sheridan Police Department and handler for the agency's K-9 unit. The couple recently had a baby.
(second report: 2:45 p.m. - February 13, 2024)
Sheridan Police Chief Travis Koltiska told Sheridan Media that the ongoing police situation is contained but ongoing, and a threat to the public no longer exists.
He asked the public to avoid traveling north on Sheridan Avenue past 5th Street and to respect police boundaries and barriers.
Sheridan police are being assisted by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Gillette Police Department and the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office.
More information will be released as the situation develops.
(first report)
Sheridan Police Department Lieutenant James Hill has asked the public to avoid traveling north on Sheridan Avenue past 5th Street.
The SPD is responding to an ongoing situation and is being assisted by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Gillette Police Department and the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office.
The Lander Journal reports: A BOLO has been issued out of Sheridan for a William Lowery, 46, who shot an officer or shot at an officer and fled in a red 2008 Chevy pickup with the Wyoming license plate 3-23801. He's considered armed and dangerous.
A school official said Sheridan Junior High School was notified of an incident near the downtown area Tuesday morning and the school went into a shelter-in-place order. Shortly after the school was advised the shelter-in-place could be lifted by police who informed the school there was no longer a threat.
More information will be released as the situation develops, reports Sheridan Media.
