Michael Paul Sims of Billings is facing a homicide charge after prosecutors said he chased a man home following a bar fight and shot him in his vehicle.
Sims, 53 years old, was charged with one count of deliberate homicide with a weapons enhancement in Yellowstone County District Court Friday.
He is accused of shooting and killing Randall Robert Livingston, who was found dead Monday night in his vehicle on 15th Street West in Billings with a gunshot wound in his neck.
According to charging documents, the incident began earlier in the evening with a dispute at the 1145 Club on Broadwater Avenue. A bartender told police that Livingston had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and was kicked out of the bar. The bartenders said Sims was one of the patrons who helped separate the two, according to charging documents.
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Livingston returned to the bar, and police saw him on surveillance video arguing with Sims in the bar's parking lot.
According to charging documents, Livingston got into his vehicle, an orange Chevrolet Avalanche, and Sims got into his, a red Dodge Ram. Police saw the Ram drive up to the Avalanche on video, and the drivers spoke for three minutes.
Livingston drove away, heading north on 12th Street West. Sims was shown giving chase, and they both turned west onto Yellowstone Avenue, according to the video.
Additional surveillance footage appeared to show the moment Livingston was shot, according to charging documents. Livingston was traveling south on 15th Street West before he stopped in the roadway at the spot where police found blood and a bullet.
Sims' vehicle was shown pulling up to the driver's side vehicle and stopping. The vehicle is then shown driving away. Dispatchers received a call about two minutes later that Livingston had been shot, according to charging documents.
Multiple witnesses also told they police they heard the shot.
In an interview with police, Sims denied shooting Livingston, saying the two had argued and he had followed him briefly before giving up pursuit. He told police he saw a black Ford Mustang chase Livingston, but that vehicle was never seen on surveillance video, according to charging documents.
Police also obtained data from an app on Sims' cell phone that placed him at the spot where Livingston was killed.
Sims is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
