GREAT FALLS — Just before noon on Tuesday, the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Office said that the standoff with a person west of Lincoln has been resolved. The person has been identified as 60-year old Greg Scheele of Lincoln. He is in custody, the area is safe, and Highway 200 is open.
Undersheriff Brent Colbert said authorities got a call at about 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday from Scheele, who they had been talking to the night before. He said authorities had trouble determining what the problem was, but heard gunshots. Deputies went to the scene to investigate.
The situation progressed to Scheele barricading himself inside the building; he was alone and continued to fire shots, Colbert said, adding that deputies were not sure what he was shooting at. He said deputies did not fire their weapons.
A negotiation team was called and spoke with Scheele for several hours, Colbert said, and eventually convinced him to surrender peacefully.
Colbert said that Scheele was taken into custody and is facing charges of assault with a weapon.
(UPDATE, 9:51 a.m.) The Sheriff's Office says that they are dealing with a barricaded person west of Lincoln. Highway 200 remains closed west of Lincoln between mile markers 66 and 67.
People are asked to avoid the area and residents near the 6300 block of Highway 200 in Lincoln should continue to shelter in place. They ask that people in the area remain indoors until the situation has been resolved.
No other details have been released; we will update you when we get more information.
(1st REPORT, 9:04 a.m.) The Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Office is asking people some residents near Lincoln to remain indoors due to a threat.
Residents near the 6300 block of Montana Highway 200 in Lincoln are being asked to shelter in place as law enforcement officers respond to what they describe as a "known threat." The nature of the threat has not yet been released.
"Stay indoors and refrain from exiting your home until the sheriff has determined the situation is safe to do so," the Sheriff's Office said in a social media post at 8:35 a.m. on Tuesday.
Montana Highway 200 has been closed to traffic between mile marker 66 and 67, according to the agency.
We do not yet know the reason for the request, are working to find out, and will update you when we get more information.
