On January 20, 2026, a coroner’s inquest was held to examine the circumstances surrounding the officer-involved shooting that occurred near 19th and Oak Street in October 2024.
The loss of life in this situation was tragic for all involved, including Tristyn Newman’s family, the Bozeman Police officers and Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputies who responded to this event. On behalf of the Bozeman Police Department and our officers, we offer our deepest condolences to the family.
We firmly stand by the actions of our officers, which have been thoroughly reviewed both internally and externally. In addition to a full internal investigation by the Bozeman Police Department, the actions of law enforcement were comprehensively investigated by the Department of Criminal Investigation, a division of the Montana Department of Justice. Additionally, a full day of evidence regarding the actions of law enforcement was presented to jurors during yesterday’s public Coroner’s Inquest. Each of the previously referenced reviews reached the same conclusion; the officers responded appropriately, lawfully and within policy to the threat of imminent harm posed by Tristyn Newman.
Throughout the encounter, Ms. Newman presented a serious and imminent threat to the public, to herself and to the responding law enforcement officers. She had committed an assault with a weapon earlier that evening, had made statements about killing another family member, and had taken steps toward doing so. She was also located in a very public location with an open store nearby. Once she was observed and contacted, law enforcement officers could not allow her to leave due to the threats she had made, the crime she had committed, and the ongoing threat she posed to the public due to her being armed with a firearm. Our crisis negotiators spent hours of prolonged and significant efforts to de-escalate the situation and convince her to put the firearm down and surrender. Ultimately, she refused to surrender peacefully despite the law enforcement officers’ repeated efforts to engage with her and reach a peaceful resolution.
We recognize the situation was and is upsetting for all involved and the outcome may be difficult to accept, but we are committed to transparency and accountability and believe the entire investigative process was conducted thoroughly and comprehensively.
