Police Officer Robert "Bob" Heinle
Missoula Police Department
Officer Bob Heinle succumbed to complications from a gunshot wound suffered 11 years earlier. On October 21, 1998, he had responded to a local bank after receiving reports of a man attempting to cash a forged check. When he arrived at the location he located the man outside and chased him on foot when the man fled. A short distance away the man opened fire, striking Officer Heinle once in the neck. The wound caused Officer Heinle to become paralyzed from the neck down. He continued to suffer complications from the wound and passed away as a result of those complications on February 12, 2010. The man who shot Officer Heinle was convicted of several charges after the initial shooting, including attempted murder, and was sentenced to life in prison. At the time of the shooting, Officer Heinle had served with the Missoula Police Department for seven years. His wife, brother, & sister survive him.
- End of Watch:
- February 12, 2010
- On the Force:
- 7 years
