(ProsperNews.net) – A Wyoming police officer has been shot and killed while attempting to serve a trespass warning. Sgt. Nevada Krinkee of the Sheridan Police Department died in hospital on February 13 after serving the notice in Val Vista Street. The Army veteran signed up with Sheridan police in 2017, and warm tributes to his service to his community were posted online in the days after his death.
Justin Rohrer, principal at Sagebrush Elementary, where Mr. Krinkee visited last year to pin up awards for students who were kind, respectful, and responsible, said the whole community is in shock. “Sheridan is a community where everybody knows somebody that knows that person. It definitely hit home,” he said.
The suspected shooter, William Lowery, fled the scene and is reported to have taken cover in the house of a local woman, leading to a stand-off with police. Sheridan police, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, and Wyoming Highway Patrol placed a perimeter around the area, and after more than 32 hours, officers shot Lowery as he attempted to flee again.
Sheridan Mayor Richard Bridger issued a press statement saying the tragic death served as a reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face as they serve their community. Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman tweeted that first responders never answer “routine” calls and their lives are in danger every day.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says the number of police officers to die in the line of duty fell last year by 39%. CEO Bill Alexander reported that 136 federal, state, county, municipal, military, tribal, and campus officers died in 2023, adding that while there is “no good news” when reporting police fatalities, he is pleased to see numbers falling.
Of the 136 fatalities, 47 were caused by gunfire, 37 by traffic incidents, and the remainder consisted of medical events or freak accidents. Texas has the highest number of police fatalities at 11, followed by Louisiana with 8 and California with 7.
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