On a cold December morning in 1984, the life of 38-year-old White male, Allen Leslie Kimery, a respected Sergeant with the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, was tragically cut short. In the early hours of December 6th, just before 3:00 a.m., Sergeant Kimery was on duty when he initiated a traffic stop in the 1200 block of West Broadway. The vehicle, a black Chevy Monte Carlo, was suspected of having just driven off from a Super America station on Brooks Street without paying for $11 worth of
gasoline. Unbeknownst to the nine-year veteran of the force, the crime was more serious than a simple gas drive-off. The car had been stolen in Great Falls, and the man behind the wheel was not an ordinary thief.
As the uniformed officer approached the driver's side of the Monte Carlo, the man inside, later identified as Fred Van Dyke, who also used the alias Joshua Garrity, opened fire with a. 357 caliber handgun. A single bullet struck Sergeant Kimery in the chest. Despite being mortally wounded, Kimery's training and instincts took over. He managed to draw his own weapon and return fire, firing six shots and grazing Van Dyke's shoulder. The sergeant then staggered back towards his patrol car before collapsing. Fellow officers arrived at the scene within minutes and rushed him to a nearby hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he died shortly thereafter.
The man who senselessly took his life, Fred Van Dyke, was apprehended. He was ultimately sentenced to 20 years to life for the murder of Sergeant Kimery. Van Dyke would later die in prison. Sergeant Allen Kimery was remembered by his colleagues as a careful, energetic, and highly esteemed officer who was known for his sensitivity and strength. He had earned more than half a dozen commendations during his career. He was survived by his wife, Jo, and their two children, a daughter named Kristina and a son, Mathew. His death marked a profound loss for his family, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, and the community he had sworn to protect.
