GREAT FALLS — Joshua Blake Lamere has been charged in Great Falls after reportedly stealing a vehicle and being found with drug paraphernalia.
Court documents state that the owner of the stolen vehicle called police on Monday evening, saying that it had been found near 900 North River Road, and the person inside - later identifed as Lamere - was "acting very strange." Dispatchers were notified that Lamere then walked away; he was wearing a green jacket and carrying two backpacks.
A police officer saw a man matching Lamere's description near the refinery; the officer told Lamere to stop, and Lamere said he would not stop and then ran away toward West Bank Park. He then locked himself in an outhouse/restroom.
Lamere refused to come out, and officers deployed pepper spray into the restroom; Lamere then unlocked the door, but refused to follow commands to lay down, and instead began a "tug of war" with the officers, pulling on the door handle. Officers eventually managed to open the door and pull him out, and he continued to resist.
Inside the restroom, officers found a spoon, a syringe, and several other items in the waste compartment.
According to the Montana Department of Corrections, Lamere has convictions in Cascade County for burglary, and in Judith Basin County for theft; he was also listed as a probation absconder at the time his arrest on Monday.
Lamere has been charged with felony theft and the following misdemeanors: obstructing a peace officer; resisting arrest; and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.
Lamere was charged in August 2019 after he allegedly was caught driving a stolen ATV, triggering a brief lockdown at Malmstrom Air Force Base (click here for details).
https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/lamere-charged-following-chase-and-malmstrom-lock-down
