Honor the memory and sacrifice of Idaho deputy killed in the line of duty | Opinion
Being a law enforcement officer is a dangerous job that can turn deadly in a moment’s notice.
Even a seemingly routine traffic stop can be fatal.
Such is the case in the fatal shooting of Tobin Bolter, a 27-year-old deputy with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Bolter was shot and killed Saturday night after pulling over a vehicle on the Boise Bench.
Police say Dennis Mulqueen, 65, shot Bolter in the neck before Bolter even made it to the driver’s side window.
To the general public, it may seem excessive to treat even routine traffic stops as if they were life-threatening, but this is the reality for police officers and sheriff’s deputies everywhere.
A total of 48 officers have been killed in the line of duty in the United States so far in 2024, including 15 by gunfire alone, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Each year, an average of 52 police officers die in the line of duty.
In Bolter’s case, it’s still not known what transpired to initiate the traffic stop. Mulqueen was wanted on a $3,000 bond because he failed to appear for a hearing in a DUI arrest — hardly a cause to take someone else’s life.
Bolter’s death is a shocking and sad reminder that we owe a debt of gratitude to the people who put on a uniform every day. We especially owe a debt of gratitude to Bolter and to Bolter’s family, who have now made the ultimate sacrifice for the public.
Because make no mistake, Mulqueen was necessarily a threat to public safety, and we are thankful that he did not shoot anyone else.
It’s easy to take for granted the shield of protection that police officers provide every day.
The fatal shooting of Bolter is a stark reminder that the shield is not impenetrable; life can be taken in the blink of an eye.
Think about the officers who, after the shooting, took to the streets looking for an armed and dangerous man who had already shot and killed one of their own. Think about Ada County Sheriff’s Detective Dallas Denney, who was seriously injured in a car crash responding to the scene of Bolter’s shooting.
A number of vigils are being planned to honor Bolter, including in his adopted hometown of Middleton, as well as in neighboring Star.
The Middleton vigil is scheduled for 9 p.m. Wednesday at Foote Park, and the Star vigil is scheduled for 9 p.m. Tuesday at Hunters Creek Sports Park.
You can honor Bolter’s service, his memory and his sacrifice by attending one of the vigils.
But perhaps even more, you can honor his service to this community by saying thank you to a law enforcement officer who is out there day and night, putting on the uniform and badge every day, going on patrol and working to keep the community safe.
Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Mary Rohlfing and Patricia Nilsson.
