A suspect brandishing a gun was shot and killed by law enforcement Friday night following a pursuit on Blue Creek Road, according to Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder.
The incident began around 9:45 p.m. on the Billings South Side, when Billings police tried to stop an apparent stolen vehicle with weapons inside, but the driver took off, according to Linder.
Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office Capt. Kent O’Donnell told MTN the original vehicle remained on scene, and the suspects left in a different vehicle. The pursuit headed toward the Blue Creek area, where Yellowstone County deputies were responding to an unrelated call.
Deputies used spike strips, which damaged the fleeing vehicle's tires, but the driver continued to head south on Blue Creek Road.
"The Montana Highway Patrol used to pit maneuver and pushed the vehicle into the ditch, where we had a standoff," said O’Donnell.
The vehicle broke down around mile marker 8, and the driver apparently fled, according to O'Donnell. Two other people were inside, one in the passenger's seat and one in the back seat, according to Linder.
Law enforcement with the sheriff's office, Montana Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, were all on scene trying to resolve the situation, according to Linder.
That's when one suspect grabbed a gun and allegedly pointed it at officers, according to Linder. They fired and killed the suspect, he said. Linder did not state which agency these officers worked for or how many fired their guns.
“At this point, we're still very early in the investigations, we're trying to determine if the suspect fired the weapon, if it was a weapon that was loaded, and then of course, how many officers shot," said O'Donnell. "At this point, we just don't know. It's too early in the investigation to give specifics.”
Police were able to find the fleeing suspect and also detain the second person in the vehicle.
The Montana Department of Criminal Investigation is investigating the matter, as well as the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office Detective Division, BIA, and the FBI, according to O'Donnell.
Linder did not say whether or if the officers involved were placed on administrative leave, which is typical whenever a suspect is killed by law enforcement. He did say he would release more information as it becomes available.
