Idaho sheriff’s deputy shot and killed during traffic stop: ‘Our hearts break’

A sheriff’s deputy in Idaho has died after he was shot during a traffic stop on Saturday night, authorities said.

Deputy Tobin Bolter, 27, pulled over a gray Chevy Suburban in Boise just before 9 p.m. and was shot as he approached the driver’s window, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office said.

The driver, a 65-year-old man who was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant, sped away after the shooting, Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said.

A citizen who witnessed Bolter get shot called 911 and rushed to the wounded deputy to perform CPR until medics arrived. Bolter was then rushed to Saint Alphonsus Medical Regional Center in Boise, where he died on Sunday.

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Ada County Deputy Tobin Bolter, 27, was the first sheriff’s deputy in the county to be killed in the line of duty, Sheriff Matt Clifford said. (Ada County Sheriffs Office)

Boise police quickly located the suspect’s vehicle unoccupied and later found a man believed to be the suspect outside a home during a search of the area, Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said.

The man refused to surrender to the police’s tactical unit, and shortly after midnight fired at officers, Winegar said. One officer returned fire, striking the man.

Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said the man believed to have shot the deputy and fled fired at officers during a standoff before being fatally shot. (Ada County Sheriff’s Office)

Officers performed aid on the man at the scene before he was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the chief said. The man’s name has yet to be released.

During the standoff, police told some residents to clear the area while warning others to stay indoors, Winegar said.

A second deputy on their way to assist Bolter after the initial shooting was involved in a two-vehicle crash. The deputy was in stable condition at a hospital while the condition of the other driver was unknown.

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Clifford spoke during an emotional press conference after Bolter died at the hospital and thanked paramedics and the citizen who performed CPR on the deputy.

During an emotional press conference, Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford thanked paramedics and the citizen who came to Bolter’s aid after the deputy was shot. (Ada County Sheriff’s Office)

“I think it goes to show what kind of community we live in where there are evil people that will do evil things but there are good people that help us and come to our aid,” he said.

Bolter was the first sheriff’s deputy in the county to be killed in the line of duty, Clifford said. He had seven years of law enforcement experience, serving the Ada County Sheriff’s Office since January and had previously worked with the Meridian Police Department and Pleasant Hill Police Department in California.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of the fallen deputy.

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“Our hearts break for the family, loved ones, and law enforcement colleagues of Deputy Tobin Bolter,” Little said in a statement posted on X. “Day in and day out, our brave men and women in blue put themselves in harm’s way to protect us and keep our communities safe. Idaho is grieving this devastating loss.”