Roll of Honor
Incident
Undersheriff Otto Fossen was shot and killed by a hitchhiker he had picked up. Donald L. Bujok, age 21, of Roundup, Montana stole a car east of Chester and proceeded to flee west on Highway 2. Local law enforcement had been alerted and as the Sheriff Dodd Keith was setting up a roadblock, Undersheriff Otto Fossen drove to Joplin to investigate a car stopped on the highway. The events of Undersheriff Fossen's attack is unclear since there were no witnesses, but it was confirmed that Undersheriff Fossen was shot five times in the neck and body and managed to get off two shots as he attempted to subdue the attacker. The suspect managed to escape in the Undersheriff’s car and proceeded west at a high rate of speed. Undersheriff Fossen was still alive when local residents found him and took him directly to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The suspect continued to flee, but left the car in a field and continued on foot. A manhunt was organized and approximately 200 volunteers searched the area. After an exhaustive search the suspect, Bujok, surrendered. A disassembled revolver was found in his hiding spot, and after an x-ray cartridges were found in his intestinal tract. When the cartridges were recovered and examined by forensics the evidence was conclusive that he had been wounded by Undersheriff Fossen's weapon. Bujok was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
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BO-US-MT-5C4DB9D4- Stewardship
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Undersheriff Fossen served with the Liberty County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Chester community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Undersheriff Fossen.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Undersheriff Otto S. Fossen is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MT, 93 of 142 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.5% of this state's fallen. That is 11.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Otto S. Fossen's cause is highlighted.
How Otto S. Fossen Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Otto S. Fossen is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Otto S. Fossen was killed by gun; unknown type.