Governor Steve Bullock has ordered all flags in Montana to be flown at half-staff on Friday, October 25, to honor Gallatin County Sheriff’s Deputy Jake Allmendinger.
Allmendinger died in the line of duty on Saturday, October 19. Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin said that Allmendinger and Deputy Ryan Jern responded to a call for a welfare check of a driver who was stranded on Fairy Lake Road in the Bridger mountain range. The roads in the area were very slick and covered in snow, and their patrol vehicle began to slide backwards. As the vehicle was sliding, Allmendinger got out of the vehicle and somehow got trapped underneath it. Jern attempted to provide immediate first aid, but was unable to save Allendinger.
Bullock's order states:
Deputy Allmendinger was a devoted father and husband, a brave first responder, and a selfless public servant who gave his life in service to another. Montana’s law enforcement officers and Montanans all across the state mourn the loss of a fallen brother but we will never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made to our state. The thoughts and prayers of my family and administration and our state are with the family, friends, and colleagues of Deputy Allmendinger.
Allmendinger is survived by his wife, three children, and extended family.
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office shared the following information:
Thursday, Oct. 24: There will be a public viewing at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday. The funeral home is located at 300 Highland Blvd. in Bozeman.
Friday, Oct. 25
- Procession: A procession of hundreds of law enforcement and first responders will help escort Jake from the funeral home to Journey Church for Friday morning’s service. The procession will begin on East Main Street at approximately 8:45 a.m. and head west and continue onto Huffine Lane. Vehicles will then turn north onto Love Lane and head to Journey Church, at the intersection of Baxter and Love lanes. We encourage folks to line the procession routes to show their support of Jake’s family and the law enforcement and first responder communities.
- Traffic: Drivers can expect long delays on Main Street during the procession. Please take alternate routes and avoid Main Street if possible. Traffic will also be impacted at the intersection of Jackrabbit and Baxter lanes between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. as processional vehicles cross Jackrabbit to park. Please find alternate routes if possible.
- Parking: Parking for the public will be at the Commons, located at 1794 Baxter Lane East. Please plan on being parked at the church by 9:30 a.m.
- Service: The service is tentatively scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. That start time could be pushed back while we wait for the entire procession to arrive at the church, so please be patient. The service is scheduled to last approximately two hours.
- Reception: A reception with light refreshments will follow immediately after the service.
- Livestream: For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed online right here
For those looking to help, a fund for the Allmendinger family during this difficult time has been set up through the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association . No other donation organizations are approved by the family and no one will contact you asking for money. We highly encourage folks to donate monetarily rather than with food or other items to best ensure their donations are used most effectively and don’t go to waste.
Monetary donations can be made in the following ways:
Check:
Make checks out to MSPOA and write “Allmendinger Family” in the memo line and send to:
MSPOA
PO Box 794
Helena, MT 59624
Phone
Call MSPOA and pay with credit card.
406-443-5669
Online
Donate on the web page:
https://www.mspoa.org/donate
All payments are processed through PayPal.
While this is MSPOA's general donating option on their website, the association will consider all donations made from today through Nov. 21 for Jake's family.
