BOISE, Idaho — A report from the Office of Police Accountability shows that officers were justified in the shooting of 65-year-old Dennis Mulqueen.
Mulqueen was the suspect in the shooting of Ada County Sheriff Deputy Tobin Bolter. Bolter died from his injuries.
On the evening of April 20, 2024, Deputy Bolter made a traffic stop. As he approached the vehicle, Mulqueen shot and fatally injured Deputy Bolter then fled in his car.
Shortly after the shooting, a Boise Police officer spotted Mulqueen's car in a Boise neighborhood and then located Mulqueen in a backyard.
"The BPD Special Operations Unit (SOU) was activated and responded to the scene," the report said. "Mr. Mulqueen refused to surrender. When he began moving toward a residence that officers believed was possibly occupied, SOU officers attempted to arrest him. Mr. Mulqueen fired one shot from a handgun at the officers. An SOU officer returned fire, striking Mr. Mulqueen two times. He later died because of his injuries."
The Critical Incident Task Force (CITF) was activated, with Garden City Police taking the lead on the investigation. A Bonner County Prosecuting Attorney reviewed the investigation and determined that Boise Detective Josh Sontag was justified in shooting Mulqueen.
Other findings in the report said that Detective Sontag did not have his body camera turned on, however, two other sergeants nearby had theirs on, capturing the incident.
After the shooting, officers checked themselves for injuries and discovered that the bullet fired by Mulqueen's gun struck the ballistic shield carried by one of the sergeants. The report stated the shield prevented the bullet from striking the sergeant in the upper chest.