‘This kid is so happy to be here.’ Hundreds remember slain Ada County sheriff’s deputy

Hundreds gathered in the Treasure Valley late Tuesday night to remember, honor and celebrate the life of Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Tobin Bolter , a 27-year-old Middleton resident who was killed in the line of duty over the weekend.

Just as the sun set over Hunter’s Creek Sports Park, community members underneath an American Flag at half-staff illuminated the field holding blue electric candles or, when those ran out, taper candles. Many attendees at the candlelight vigil were members of law enforcement, first responders or employees of other neighboring agencies, and their families. The vigil was the first of several planned this week.

“We’re angry, and we’re confused, and we’re sad,” Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said, “but the showing of support from the public has given us so much hope.”

Just before 9 p.m. Saturday, Bolter was shot and killed by 65-year-old Dennis Mulqueen following a traffic stop on the Boise Bench, according to police. Clifford said Bolter “never even made it” to the driver’s-side window. Mulqueen, of Boise, was killed by Boise police after he fired his gun at officers following a manhunt.

The first time Clifford met Bolter was in the halls of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office . He said Bolter had a “big grin on his face,” which Clifford later discovered he always adorned.

“I just thought: ‘This kid is so happy to be here,’ and I was so thankful for that,” Clifford said, adding that Bolter was the type of employee that the Sheriff’s Office wants, one who’s excited to serve their community.

Bolter leaves behind his pregnant wife, Abbey Bolter, and a “close-knit family,” according to a statement from his family. The Sheriff’s Office has created a GoFundMe along with several other donation methods for community members to support his family.

“Tobin’s life has been a reflection of God’s grace,” according to the statement. “He was a selfless man of conviction, giving God the glory in all circumstances.”

Star Police Chief Zach Hessing, who is employed by the Sheriff’s Office, said that since the shooting, he’s come to know Bolter through the eyes of his family. Three things were exceptionally important to Bolter: his desire to work in law enforcement, his relationship with God, and his wife. The Bolters met in eighth grade and “immediately” became best friends, Hessing said, but she couldn’t date until she graduated high school.

So Tobin Bolter stuck around and stayed Abbey Bolter’s best friend, Hessing said, until his senior year of high school. He showed up dressed “very nicely” to speak with Abbey’s father, holding a six-page document that explained why they should be able to date.

Hessing wasn’t sure whether Abbey Bolter’s father agreed to the courtship but knew that they dated in college, where Tobin Bolter ran into another one of her father’s rules: They couldn’t get married until he had a full-time job.

“So he went to college and he was able to obtain a bachelor’s degree in two-and-a-half years,” Hessing said. “It goes to show that when he puts his heart in something — such as Abbey and something he wants in life— he puts all into it.”

Ben Blakey, the pastor at Compass Bible Church Treasure Valley in Meridian, Bolter’s church, said during the vigil that Bolter wanted to “glorify God,” or bring light against the darkness.

“Tobin wanted to spend his life reflecting the perfect light of God,” Blakey said. “That’s what he wanted to be known for, and that’s maybe difficult in an event like this, because so much around his death just feels like darkness.”

“There’s a word to describe what happened to Deputy Bolter, and that word is evil. It’s wrong. It’s darkness,” Blakey continued. “How can his life reflect the light of God with this? It’s really because of the faith that Tobin had.”

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