MISSOULA – A man is in custody after allegedly brandishing a gun following a crash on Missoula’s north side and then leading police on a chase that ended with gunfire.
The incident began when police were called to the scene of a crash in the 900 block of North Orange Street just before 3:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Missoula police spokesman Sgt. Travis Welsh said one of those involved in the crash told 911 dispatchers that a driver pulled out a handgun and fired it following the crash.
A short time later, officers learned that the same man pulled up next to another vehicle where he again brandished a handgun. The driver of the other vehicle sped away when he/she saw the gun, Welsh said.
Officers later found a blue Chevrolet pickup truck which matched the suspect vehicle description, but when they tried to pull it over, the driver refused to stop and drove away from officers.
Police chased the suspect through the northwest part of the city until the driver stopped on Otis Street where he got out of the truck with a gun in his hand.
Welsh said as officers attempted to apprehend the suspect there was an exchange of gunfire before he dropped the weapon and walked away, ignoring officer’s commands.
The man was finally taken into custody after a brief struggle. No injuries were reported.
Welsh said a “use of force” investigation is being conducted by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation in conjunction with the criminal investigation by Missoula police.
The name of the suspect has not yet been released.
- Reported by Kent Luetzen and Mark Thorsell
