One weekend every month, Deputy Peter Hurdle with the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office in Cheyenne drives to Wheatland to play trumpet in the Wyoming Army National Guard’s 67th Army Band unit.
The 26-member ensemble has played all over Wyoming. Some of Hurdle’s favorite tunes include jazz-blues style songs like “St. James Infirmary” by Louis Armstrong and “Brooklyn” by the Youngblood Brass Band.
Until this weekend, Hurdle thought one of his most important performances was during the halftime show of the 115th Border War football game between the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.
That was until this week.
One of Hurdle's supervisors reached out to relay an important message from Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak, an assignment for Hurdle’s most important gig to date.
Kozak wanted to know if Hurdle could get time off Friday from his weekend duties of serving in the guard’s 67th Army Band to play taps in a private graveside ceremony for Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee at the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery.
“It’s a huge honor being asked by the sheriff himself to perform at a funeral for our fallen officer,” Hurdle told Cowboy State Daily. “It means a lot to me.”
In The Line Of Duty
Krinkee, 33, was killed when the man he was serving a trespass notice on shot him, then fled the scene. The man later barricaded himself in a house owned by a Sheridan woman near the corner of 7th Avenue and North Sheridan Street.
The suspect died at the scene 32 hours later after a prolonged standoff. Police shot and killed him when he attempted to flee the scene.
Because of his guard responsibilities, Hurdle may be cutting it close for his performance.
The officer plans to leave the National Guard Armory in Wheatland at 6 a.m. Friday, then travel directly to the cemetery on Sheridan’s leafy westside of town for the graveside service.
The traffic may slow him down, but he’s optimistic to cut over to the westside cemetery in time for the graveside service, where Krinkee’s body will be laid to rest.
A Brother In Blue
The community of Sheridan is expected to briefly shut down on Friday as 1,000 law enforcement officers from across the United States plan to pay their respects to Krinkee at Sheridan College’s Golden Dome.
That ceremony follows a 3-mile-long procession of side-by-side police cruisers traveling along Sheridan’s historic major thoroughfare, Main Street.
“I’m taking the day off from the National Guard to perform taps at this memorial service,” Hurdle said.
The use of taps is unique to the military, as the call is sounded at funerals, wreath-laying ceremonies and memorial services. Hurdle said that he will play the 24 notes of taps on a valved trumpet, not on the traditional bugle.
Hurdle has played the trumpet since seventh grade at Cheyenne’s McCormick Junior High School. The instrument stuck with him through Cheyenne Central High School, and later at Laramie County Community College and the University of Wyoming.
“I grew up and was raised in Cheyenne,” said Hurdle, who has never played taps at a funeral before and plans to rely on his “military training” to get through the somber performance without breaking down.
Hurdle said he’s become choked up thinking about Krinkee’s death since he learned of the shooting.
“I’ve thought of how I would be if I were in this situation, or one of my fellow deputies or a family member that passed away,” he said.
Long after Krinkee has been laid to rest and Hurdle continues his career as a sheriff’s deputy and National Guard soldier, he’ll play many more performances. But it’s unlikely any will be as meaningful or important as the slow, melancholy tones of those 24 simple notes that call out for a brother in blue.
Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.
