Travis Hardy was arrested on Monday, August 29, 2022, after allegedly stealing a Bozeman Police Department patrol car, driving into oncoming traffic, and eventually crashing on the interstate.
Hardy, 49 years old, appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Tuesday, charged with motor vehicle theft and criminal endangerment.
Court documents say around 6:40 p.m. on Monday, a police officer was dispatched for a welfare check on Hardy near the Law & Justice Center on South 19th Avenue.
The officer said he learned the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) was planning to buy Hardy a ticket back to California and that he refused to stay at HRDC's warming center.
Hardy reportedly told the officer he would stay in the L&J parking lot until HRDC arrived to take him to the airport.
According to court documents, two women reported seeing Hardy hitting car windows with a rock in the parking lot around 8:26 p.m.
As police officers went outside to the scene, Hardy allegedly got behind the wheel of a police patrol vehicle and drove away.
Officers chased Hardy who continued to drive the patrol vehicle through Bozeman.
Court documents say Hardy ran numerous red lights, drove into oncoming traffic, and nearly crashed into several vehicles.
Hardy then drove onto I-90 where he crashed into a guard rail. Officers performed a high-risk stop, arrested Hardy, and took him to the Gallatin County Detention Center.
Hardy's next court appearance is set for September 16.
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