THOMPSON FALLS – A man is behind bars after fleeing an attempted traffic stop in Sanders County.
The incident began at approximately 11 a.m. on Sunday when a Thompson Falls police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop.
The man – whose name has not been released – then led law enforcement on a pursuit headed west out of Thompson Falls, according to a news release.
Sanders County deputies and the Montana Highway Patrol assisted in the chase that ended when the male driver took off on foot after stopping on Graham Grove Lane in the Trout Creek area.
After nearly three hours of searching for the male, the search was called off “due to safety concerns for officers searching on foot, conditions and other factors,” a social media post states.
A resident who law enforcement had talked to earlier on Sunday called law enforcement at approximately 5:15 p.m. to report he could see the suspect walking along his fence line.
A Sanders County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrested the male at about 6:30 p.m. The suspect is now being held in the Sanders County Detention Center.
The Thompson Falls Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident.
