Year in Review: Standoff

Sheridan Media is taking a look back at the most viewed stories of 2024. The year began with an unfortunate and senseless act of violence that took the life of Sheridan Police Officer Sergeant Nevada Krinkee and the suspect, William Lowery, age 46, barricaded himself into a residential home for over 24 hours. 

Krinkee was killed in the line of duty on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Suspect Lowery fled the scene and eventually barricaded himself in a home located at 6th Street and North Sheridan Avenue. 

Cowboy State Daily reported that it didn’t take long until an army of Wyoming law-enforcement and SWAT teams surrounded the residence.

A track hoe excavator, a pressure hose, at least one Bearcat armored vehicle and a legion of armed agents beared down on the home in a residential neighborhood since about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, pressuring the suspect to give himself up.

AS the day turned to night a second Bearcat armored vehicle arrived at 11:36 p.m., and law enforcement agents discussed having the machine “start taking care of business” on the east wall of the house.

But the suspect remained barricaded all night. Agents started to suspect he had a police scanner of his own and was keeping tabs on the agent’s next move.

In their beanies, boots and gloves, agents talked strategy in an 8 a.m. huddle. 

Seventeen minutes later, a Bearcat changed position.

“Come out!” came a warbled loudspeaker command at 8:23 a.m. Agents approached the house, and deployed more gas.

Police had hurled and shot gas grenades and projectiles into the house throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening. Agents voiced concerns that the gas was dissipating into the wind via holes in the house.

Sheridan Police Department Chief Travis Koltiska reportedly placed a 7 a.m. phone call to a longtime friend with whom he went to high school, Mike Morgareidge, and asked for an excavator.

He called it his “last option,” related Morgareidge, who co-owns Wyoming Demolition Excavation.

Morgareidge wanted to bring an excavator from the Powder Horn Golf Course but couldn’t because of the icy roads.

Morgareidge then called his friend, TWS owner Chris Scheeler, of Cowley, asking if Scheeler happened to have a spare excavator. He did. His rig was doing a job in the same neighborhood where the standoff waged on, and he sent his excavator into the scene, Morgareidge said. A tactical agent with some machinery experience took over the controls and rumbled toward the house.

Agents blasted water into the house with a pressure-hose for about five minutes starting at 9 a.m.

After more than 24 hours of negotiations and other tactics to get the suspect to peacefully surrender, the suspect exited the house with a weapon and tried to flee. 

The suspect was shot by police and pronounced dead at the scene. The Division of Criminal Investigation has been conducting an investigation into the officer involved shooting at the request of the Sheridan Police Department.

That investigation remains ongoing.