Records shed light on Idaho man suspected of killing Ada County sheriff’s deputy

Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman

(Idaho Statesman) — It’s been astir 2 months since Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Tobin Bolter was fatally changeable pursuing a postulation extremity connected nan Boise Bench, and despite attempts by rule enforcement, there’s still nary clear nationalist knowing of what motivated nan killing.

Documents obtained by nan Idaho Statesman showed 65-year-old Dennis Mulqueen, nan Boise man suspected of sidesplitting Bolter, arsenic a mostly nonviolent personification who agelong struggled pinch an intoxicant usage upset and had galore — but insignificant — interactions pinch rule enforcement. Court records reviewed by nan Statesman showed Mulqueen’s charges dated backmost to 2007, ranging from unfastened instrumentality violations to failing to look for hearings.

Police person said Bolter was changeable and killed by Mulqueen during an April postulation extremity connected nan Boise Bench. Mulqueen was later changeable and killed during a confrontation pinch police.

“I americium not proud of my record, but ne'er considered myself genuinely criminal and person tried to clasp immoderate magnitude of integrity successful life,” Mulqueen wrote to a judge successful a 2018 missive asking to trim a theft condemnation from nan twelvemonth before. The Statesman obtained nan missive done tribunal filings.

Dennis Mulqueen changeable and killed Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Tobin Bolter aft nan lawman pulled him complete for a postulation extremity adjacent nan area of West Overland Road and South Raymond Street connected nan Boise Bench. Mulqueen was later killed by a Boise constabulary serviceman aft he changeable astatine officers. | Boise Police Department

Mulqueen said successful nan missive that he decided to activity curen by completing a six-month constituent usage curen programme astatine Easterseals-Goodwill Behavioral Health successful Caldwell. He said he’d been surviving successful betterment for complete a twelvemonth and a half, and struggled to find full-time employment and semipermanent lodging because of his criminal background. The twelvemonth before, successful 2017, he had been convicted of misdemeanor theft by acquiring mislaid spot erstwhile constabulary recovered him pinch a mislaid cellphone.

Mulqueen, successful nan years prior, had struggled pinch homelessness. Paired pinch his drinking, he said successful nan letter, that led him to “numerous conflicts pinch rule enforcement.”

Boise constabulary apprehension Mulqueen for DUI

Last year, Mulqueen was arrested again for misdemeanor driving nether nan influence. He was stopped by a Boise serviceman conscionable aft 10 p.m. Sept. 12, 2023, aft he drove done a extremity motion astatine nan intersection of West Kootenai and South Owyhee streets and was swerving successful nan lane, according to a Boise constabulary study provided to nan Statesman done nan nationalist records process.

Mulqueen was arrested and later booked into nan Ada County Jail connected respective misdemeanor charges aft he grounded a section sobriety test. Boise Police Officer Garrett Britton successful nan study said Mulqueen became “increasingly agitated” during nan apprehension and was “lashing retired verbally.”

Later testing showed Mulqueen’s humor intoxicant contented was astatine astir 0.14, good complete nan ineligible limit of 0.08, according to an Idaho State Police study provided by Boise police.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office denied nan Statesman’s petition for investigative reports regarding Mulqueen, citing an exemption nether Idaho’s Public Records Act for ongoing investigations.

Mulqueen’s bail was group astatine $1,500, and he was released from jailhouse aft posting nan enslaved astatine nan extremity of nan month, tribunal records showed. Mulqueen was successful and retired of jailhouse successful nan pursuing months aft he missed hearings and didn’t cheque successful pinch nan Ada County Sheriff’s Office for intoxicant and supplier testing arsenic portion of nan position of his release.

In December 2023, a 2nd warrant pinch a $3,000 enslaved attached to it had been issued for Mulqueen’s apprehension aft he missed different hearing. He wouldn’t beryllium located again until April, erstwhile Bolter attempted to behaviour a postulation extremity astir 2 miles from nan first DUI arrest.

Shooting still nether investigation, sheriff’s agency says

Shortly earlier 9 p.m. April 20, Bolter, who worked nan nighttime patrol shift, pulled complete Mulqueen’s conveyance adjacent Overland Road and South Raymond Street connected nan Boise Bench. Before Bolter could attack nan driver’s-side model of Mulqueen’s vehicle, he was changeable successful nan neck, according to nan Ada County Sheriff’s Office and Ada County Coroner’s Office.

It’s unclear why Bolter pulled complete Mulqueen, but he had notified dispatch of nan misdemeanor warrant. Body-camera footage for nan shooting hasn’t been released, and nan Sheriff’s Office denied a petition to get nan footage and investigative reports by nan Statesman, citing nan ongoing investigation.

Bolter was transported to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center successful Boise aft 3 bystanders called 911 and attempted to extremity nan bleeding. He died astatine nan infirmary astir 12 hours later.

Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Tobin Bolter pinch his woman Abbey Bolter. The 27-year-old lawman was changeable and killed successful April aft performing a postulation extremity connected nan Boise Bench. | Ada County Sheriff’s Office

Mulqueen fled nan segment and was recovered later that nighttime extracurricular a location connected South Jackson Street by Boise officers. Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said they attempted for “quite immoderate time” to apprehend him peacefully, but he fired a weapon astatine officers, prompting Boise Police Officer Joshua Sontag to occurrence backmost and sprout Mulqueen.

Mulqueen died hours later from a gunshot coiled to nan chest, nan Coroner’s Office said successful a news release.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office said past week that nan investigation was still ongoing and that nan agency didn’t person immoderate caller information.

Law enforcement investigators are still asking anyone who mightiness person had immoderate interactions pinch Mulqueen successful nan days earlier nan shooting aliases immoderate different accusation to interaction Ada County Dispatch astatine 208-377-6790.

“We’re angry, and we’re confused, and we’re sad,” Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said astatine a vigil successful Star, “but nan showing of support from nan nationalist has fixed america truthful overmuch hope.”

In our Reality Check stories, Idaho Statesman journalists activity to clasp nan powerful accountable and find answers to captious questions successful our community. Read more. Story idea? Tips@idahostatesman.com.