Tobin Bolter: The Traffic Stop, Standoff, and Memorials

Tobin Bolter was a 27-year-old Ada County Sheriff’s deputy who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Boise, Idaho, on the evening of April 20, 2024. He died from his injuries the next morning at Saint Alphonsus hospital, becoming the first Ada County deputy killed in the line of duty in decades. The man who shot him, 65-year-old Dennis Mulqueen, fled the scene and was killed hours later by Boise police after opening fire on officers during a standoff.

What Happened at the Traffic Stop

At about 8:55 p.m. on April 20, 2024, Bolter pulled over a gray Chevrolet Suburban near the intersection of West Overland Road and South Raymond Street in Boise.¹ The driver was Dennis Mulqueen, who was the subject of a misdemeanor warrant stemming from missed court hearings tied to an earlier DUI arrest.² As Bolter approached the driver’s side window, Mulqueen shot him.³

A civilian witness called 911 and performed CPR on the deputy until paramedics arrived.¹ Bolter was taken to Saint Alphonsus, where he died the morning of April 21, 2024.³

The Standoff That Followed

Mulqueen fled in the Suburban. Around 9:30 p.m., Boise Police found the vehicle unoccupied near South Roosevelt and West Dorian streets.⁴ Officers tracked him to a backyard on South Jackson Street. For roughly 30 minutes, police made more than 30 loudspeaker announcements and tried to reach him by phone. He did not respond.⁵

Shortly before midnight, Mulqueen began moving toward the back door of an occupied apartment complex next door, raising fears of a hostage situation. A Boise Police Special Operations Unit moved in. As the team advanced, Mulqueen leaned out from behind a privacy fence and fired, striking a ballistic shield carried by Sergeant Andreoli and narrowly missing him.⁶ Detective Joshua Sontag saw the muzzle flash and returned fire with his rifle, hitting Mulqueen twice in the upper chest. Mulqueen was pronounced dead at a hospital.⁵

In November 2024, Bonner County Prosecuting Attorney Louis Marshall ruled Sontag’s use of deadly force justified under Idaho law. Marshall said officers had given Mulqueen extensive opportunity to surrender and praised what he called “an amazing level of restraint and professionalism.”⁶

Who Dennis Mulqueen Was

Mulqueen was a 65-year-old Boise resident with a history of alcohol use disorder and homelessness. His Idaho criminal record went back to 2007 and consisted largely of alcohol-related offenses: open container violations, failures to appear, and a misdemeanor DUI arrest in September 2023 after he failed a field sobriety test with a blood alcohol content near 0.14.² He also had a 2017 misdemeanor theft conviction. The official investigation report said he had no known history of violent crime before the night he killed Bolter.⁶

After the 2023 DUI, Mulqueen cycled in and out of jail for missing hearings and failing substance testing. A warrant with a $3,000 bond was issued in December 2023 after he missed court, and that warrant led to the April 20 traffic stop.² People who knew him described mental health challenges and anti-government sentiments. Investigators concluded it was “certainly conceivable” that a desire to avoid returning to jail motivated the shooting.⁶ He was estranged from his family at the time of his death.

Who Tobin Bolter Was

Tobin Takoda Bolter was born in Walnut Creek, California, and raised in Middleton, Idaho. He graduated from The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, California. After college, he worked as a cross country and track coach in the Bay Area while attending the police academy as a self-sponsored recruit.⁷ His interest in law enforcement started early; he served as a police cadet with the Walnut Creek Police Department during high school.

He began his professional career with the Pleasant Hill Police Department in California in 2017. He later moved to Idaho, was hired by the Meridian Police Department in August 2022, and then joined the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, where he was serving when he was killed.⁷ He had spent seven years in law enforcement by the time of his death.⁸

Bolter married his wife, Abbey, in 2018. The two had met in eighth grade and started dating in 2014.⁷ At the time of his death, Abbey was pregnant with their first child.⁹

Memorials in His Name

A temporary memorial featuring Bolter’s patrol vehicle was set up in front of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office at 7200 West Barrister Drive in Boise, and dedicated memorial spots were established at the Star, Kuna, and Eagle police substations.⁹ Reflecting Bolter’s lifelong passion for running, Ada County renamed its annual kids’ duathlon the Tobin Bolter Memorial Kids’ Duathlon, a run-bike race for children ages three to twelve held at the Ada Eagle Bike Park.⁸

The Nonprofit the Family Disavowed

In March 2025, a man named Samuel Ferrell filed paperwork with the Idaho Secretary of State to create a nonprofit called the Tobin Bolter Memorial Project and Scholarship Program. Ferrell, then 35, served as president. Abbey Bolter and her father, Benjie Wells, were initially listed as board members.⁹

In April 2025, Boise State Public Radio reported that Ferrell had an extensive criminal record, including felony convictions for lewd conduct with a child under 16 and filing fraudulent checks, along with a 2023 misdemeanor assault conviction. His juvenile record included felony grand theft, forgery, and multiple bad-check charges. He had also been charged in 2022 with misdemeanor assault at a Rent-A-Center, where he allegedly impersonated a law enforcement officer.⁹

After being shown that reporting, Abbey Bolter and Benjie Wells resigned from the board. On April 16, 2025, they issued a statement through their attorney saying they were no longer affiliated with the nonprofit and did not support it.¹⁰ The family’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist order demanding the organization stop using Bolter’s name, image, and likeness, and began working to determine whether donations could be refunded.⁹

The Idaho Nonprofit Center removed the organization from its website. The Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce withdrew its sponsorship and canceled a ribbon-cutting event scheduled for April 25. The nonprofit was also removed from the Idaho Gives donation platform after being deemed “no longer qualified.”¹⁰ The organization had never obtained federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Ferrell initially said the nonprofit would not be intimidated and would keep the name, then later issued an apology and signaled plans to rebrand.⁹

In April 2026, Ferrell faced new felony charges unrelated to the nonprofit, including soliciting a 15-year-old girl for sex, having her produce explicit material, and preparing false evidence. Prosecutors allege he conspired with another registered sex offender to coerce the victim. As of late June 2026, Ferrell was out of custody on a $100,000 bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 2, 2026.¹¹

1
Ada County, Idaho. Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Shot and Killed During Traffic Stop
2
Idaho Statesman. Suspect in Deputy Tobin Bolter Shooting Identified
3
Idaho Peace Officers Memorial. Tobin Bolter
4
City of Boise. Update to ACSO Shooting – Boise Police Officer Involved Shooting
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Idaho Press. Fatal Police Shooting of Man Who Killed Deputy Ruled a Justified Act
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City of Boise. Mulqueen OPA Report – BPD Response
7
Bowman Funeral Home. Tobin Takoda Bolter
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Ada County, Idaho. 2026 Tobin Bolter Memorial Kids’ Duathlon Registration Now Open
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Boise State Public Radio. Idaho Tobin Bolter Nonprofit Criminal
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KTVB. Ada County Deputy Tobin Bolter Wife Shares Family No Longer Supporting Nonprofit
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Boise State Public Radio. Tobin Bolter Nonprofit Child Abuse