BILLINGS — Darren Whiteman, who was arrested after a four-hour standoff with police in Billings on Wednesday, was wanted for an armed robbery in November where a woman was shot.
Whiteman, 36 years old, was arrested at about 5 p.m. following the standoff at a trailer house on Mullowney Lane. He is being held at the Yellowstone County jail on a $250,000 bond.
In a press release on Thursday morning, Lt. Brandon Wooley said the incident began at about 1 p.m. when members of the department's Street Crimes Unit and the US Marshals Violent Offenders Task Force located Whiteman at trailer #48 on Mullowney Lane. There was a $250,000 arrest warrant for Whiteman on a charge of felony robbery related to a November 24 robbery at a Billings convenience store where a 25-year-old female clerk was shot in the arm.
"While officers were surveilling the area numerous people exited the trailer and started to get into a vehicle to leave," Wooley said in the press release. "Officers approached to make contact and all the subjects fled into trailer #48. Due to the violent nature of the offense and past use of weapons, officers secured the perimeter and called out the occupants of the trailer. Several occupants of the trailer complied with officer's commands and came out. Whiteman did not comply nor did he respond to or acknowledge officers commands in any way."
The department's SWAT team and Hostage Negotiation team along with the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office tactical Response team responded to the scene and "extensive negotiation attempts to contact and communicate with Whiteman failed with no response," Wooley said. "Tactical operations were conducted and Whiteman was safely taken into custody."
There were no injuries reported.
(NOVEMBER 25, 2019) A woman was shot late Sunday during an attempted robbery of a gas station on the Billings South Side.
Police said on Twitter that the robbery and shooting happened at about 8:46 p.m. at the Gas-N-Go on Jackson Street.
A male suspect attempted to rob the business and fired one round, striking an adult female. She was taken by ambulance to a Billings hospital.
The victim was a 25-year-old woman who was working at the business. Police also did not provide a description of the robber or whether a suspect has been identified, stating the investigation is ongoing.
