GREAT FALLS — Shawn Marie Lamere is facing felony charges after she allegedly threatened police officers with a knife in Great Falls.
On Wednesday, April 22, just after 11 a.m., a police officer saw Dustin Lamere standing outside of a residence. There was a felony warrant for Dustin, and he was arrested at the scene.
While waiting for other officers to arrive to take Dustin to jail, Shawn came out of the residence. She was upset that Dustin was being arrested. Shawn also accused the officer of violating the law by looking through the window of a vehicle which was parked on a public road. The officer told Shawn she was incorrect in her assessment of Montana law. Shawn approached the officer while standing on the boulevard near 8th Street North, about 10 feet away from him.
According to court documents, the officer saw Shawn was holding a yellow-handled folding knife in her hand. The blade for the knife was extended and she was holding it in her fist while standing in "an aggressive stance." The distance between Shawn and the officer would not have allowed him much time to react if she tried to attack him.
The officer ordered Shawn to put down the knife; she then reportedly lunged a step toward the officer and two other officers that had arrived. An officer again ordered Shawn to drop the knife and she threw it to the ground. Physical force was necessary to restrain Shawn and arrest her.
During a pat search, a second knife, hypodermic needle, and small plastic baggie were recovered from her bra.
According to court documents, Shawn said she lunged at the officers with the knife because she felt "disrespected" when he told her she was wrong about the law, and she was not satisfied with the result of a previous complaint she had made against officers.
The charging documents note that Shawn was discharged from a sentence for felony endangering the welfare of a child in October 2019. She had been revoked on that sentence on at least two occasions, including one revocation of her conditional release status.
Shawn has been charged with three felony counts of assault on a peace officer, and one misdemeanor count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.
