Four Bozeman police officers were on administrative leave as of Friday after officers fatally shot a woman early Thursday morning following an hours-long standoff.
The 29-year-old Bozeman woman was identified as Rick Alastor Newman by County Sheriff Dan Springer Friday afternoon. According to the news release, Park County Coroner Al Jenkins conducted a formal coroner’s investigation and determined Newman’s cause of death was from traumatic ballistic projectile wounds.
A woman called police at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, saying the mother of a female friend told her she had been threatened by the friend with a handgun, Bozeman Police Chief Jim Veltkamp said during a press conference Friday.
Officers responded to the home in the area of North 15th Avenue and Durston Road and learned the woman had left the home with the handgun, and allegedly made “suicidal threats and specific threats about killing specific people,” Veltkamp said.
After searching in the area for two hours, officers found the woman in the parking lot of the shopping center at the intersection of West Oak Street and North 19th Avenue, where Smith’s grocery store is located.
Veltkamp said the woman was still in possession of the handgun when officers located her and allegedly refused to put it down, but did remain stationary. The joint city-county special response team was called in to help communicate with the woman. Veltkamp said he hasn’t yet reviewed the body camera videos of those discussions.
Veltkamp said it is his understanding that the woman was suffering from mental-health issues.
During the ensuing two hours and 45 minutes, the woman “repeatedly raised and lowered” the gun, Veltkamp said, and less-lethal weapons were used at least once.
“At about 1:45 a.m. the female set the firearm down and briefly indicated she was giving up by moving away from it,” he said. “She then ran back up to it and grabbed it again, raising it up in a motion that concerned the officers.”
Two officers fired their firearms, while two other Bozeman officers fired non-lethal weapons at the woman. A fifth officer from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office also fired a non-lethal weapon at the same time, and has also been placed on leave.
The woman was dead by the time officers approached, and nobody else was injured. Veltkamp said he does not believe the woman fired her gun.
“In this situation, officers do everything they possibly can not to have it happen that way,” Veltkamp said. “I cannot speculate without the investigations being conducted, but from my knowledge, and the fact that they took two hours and 45 minutes trying to resolve it peacefully, that is the absolute last thing that any of them wants to do. And seeing them back there after this incident, I promise that was written on everybody’s face.”
Veltkamp said the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident, and will give its findings to the Gallatin County Attorney’s office. A coroner’s inquest will also take place, during which time footage from body worn cameras and police vehicles would be available to the public.
BPD is also conducting an internal investigation.
“Please know we’re committed to conducting a thorough investigation,” Veltkamp said.
