BOZEMAN — A man who was arrested Thursday morning near Garrison after a standoff on Interstate 90 reportedly shot at a Gallatin County Sheriff Officer detective in Manhattan after fleeing from law enforcement in Belgrade.
"One of my detectives was out there he had put his vehicle on the side of the road with the lights flashing and then they deployed the spike strips in an attempt to deflate the tires," said Interim Sheriff Dan Springer.
"It was obviously a police vehicle and as the subject drove by, he put multiple rounds in that direction, at least one striking the vehicle," Springer added.
According to a press release from Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, the incident began at approximately 11:45 p.m. Wednesday when officers with the Belgrade Police Department were dispatched to a local residence for a report of a partner or family member assault. The suspect in the assault left the residence before officers arrived.
A Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputy located the vehicle parked at a gas station in Belgrade. The deputy activated his emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop and detain the suspect for the investigation.
The driver then drove out of the parking lot and struck another vehicle. The deputy pursued the suspect vehicle in his marked patrol vehicle with activated emergency lights and sirens. The driver led the deputy and others on a pursuit towards Manhattan on the Frontage Road.
Attempts to spike the vehicle’s tires in Manhattan were unsuccessful. The suspect continued through Manhattan and turned westbound onto I-90.
A detective with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office set spike strips at the Logan Interchange in another attempt to bring the pursuit to an end.
The driver of the suspect vehicle fired multiple rounds at the detective on the side of the road, striking the unmarked sheriff’s office vehicle that had its emergency lights activated.
The pursuit with the suspect vehicle was called off shortly after the suspect engaged the deputy with a firearm due to poor road conditions and very limited visibility.
The suspect vehicle was later located in Silver Bow County and another pursuit ensued. The suspect vehicle’s tires were later deflated by law enforcement and the vehicle came to a stop near mile marker 173 on I-90.
After approximately a four-hour standoff, the suspect was safely taken into custody. No law enforcement officers were injured during this incident.
The following law enforcement agencies were involved in this protracted event: Belgrade Police Department, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, Manhattan Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Department, Granite County Sheriff’s Office, Powell County Sheriff’s Office, and SWAT teams from Butte and Missoula.
In the release, Interim Sheriff Dan Springer said he would like to thank all of the agencies involved for their assistance in safely resolving this incident.
