SHERIDAN, Wyo. — Law enforcement agencies across Wyoming are mourning the on-duty homicide of a police sergeant who was shot and killed while serving a trespass warning, according to reports.
Sgt. Nevada Krinkee died at a hospital after being shot Tuesday near the intersection of 5th Street and Val Vista Street in downtown Sheridan. After the shooting, the gunman barricaded himself inside a residence a few blocks away in the area of 6th Street and N. Sheridan Avenue, Police Chief Travis Koltiska said, according to the Associated Press.
Sheridan police, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and Wyoming Highway Patrol established a perimeter around the location and evacuated other residents in the area. The Gillette Police Department’s tactical unit and crisis negotiators also responded to the scene, Fox News reported.
A standoff in the northern Wyoming city between the suspect and state and local police agencies continued into Tuesday evening.
The suspect has not yet been identified as of early Wednesday morning. No further details were immediately released by law enforcement authorities.
Krinkee first began serving the department on Oct. 11, 2017, according to the Sheridan WY Police and Fire Facebook page. He was also an Army veteran, reported local news outlets.
“The entire department is shocked and saddened by this senseless act and appreciate all the thoughts and prayers from our community,” Koltiska said. “Please respect the privacy of our brother Nevada’s family through this trying time.”
Sheridan Mayor Richard Bridger commented on Krinkee’s death Tuesday night, saying the city is “deeply saddened by the tragic loss,” according to Fox.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Police Sergeant Nevada Krinkee, who was killed in the line of duty while selflessly serving our community. His loss serves as a solemn and heartbreaking reminder of the risks our law enforcement officers face every day,” Bridger said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Krinkee’s family, loved ones, the Sheridan Police Department, and other first responders during this difficult time.”
