BOZEMAN — Late Thursday night, Bozeman Police responded to reports of a stabbing at Kirk Park.
“It sounds like a group of juveniles had gathered in the park. There ended up being a confrontation between two juvenile males that resulted in a stabbing,” says Bozeman Police Chief Jim Veltkamp.
I spoke with a neighbor near Kirk Park who says he’s been living in the area for over seven years.
He told me that individuals often loiter at the park well beyond closing time—prompting him to request night patrols even before the stabbing.
However, Veltkamp says the stabbing is an isolated incident: “The suspect and victim were acquaintances and knew each other, and it sounds like they had some bad prior confrontation and conflicts that ultimately led to what happened.”
I asked Chief Veltkamp if this incident represents a trend. He says that parks can sometimes be a gathering place for criminal activity, especially late at night.
“Officers do routinely go through the city parks, go through places at night where we especially have problems, and do what they can to try to deter bad behavior, criminal activity, and keep these communities safe,” he says.
The stabbing victim is being treated for substantial injuries to the abdomen. Veltkamp says the juvenile is in critical condition but is expected to survive.
“That is partly what leads to the charges that were brought against the suspect. Because they involved serious bodily injury that could lead to permanent injury or even death. Those are the type of injuries he received, so we ended up going with attempted homicide,” says Veltkamp.
Veltkamp commends the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman Fire, and American Medical Response for their quick response to the incident.
“That is what allowed us to contact witnesses, take care of the victim, and locate a suspect,” he says.
