MISSOULA — A man was shot and killed by police following an early Tuesday morning pursuit in Missoula.
The incident began at approximately 2 a.m. after an officer tried to pull over a driver who was suspected of impaired driving in the 700 block of South Orange Street.
According to a news release, the 32-year-old man took off in his vehicle and then eventually fled from police on foot.
City and county law enforcement found the suspect near the 800 block of South Fourth Street West shortly before 3 a.m.
Missoula Police Department spokeswoman Whitney Bennett said officers tried to arrest the suspect, but he was uncooperative and showed a gun.
Shots were then fired and the man was injured. “Life-saving measures were immediately administered” according to Bennett. The man was then taken to an area hospital where he died.
Bennett noted that she had not seen body camera footage as of 12:30 p.m. on May 14, and could not comment further on the situation.
The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
MTN reached out to DCI who shared, "Over the last five years (since 2020), there have been 11 officer-involved critical incidents in Missoula city and county combined. So, that would include incidents from the PD and Sheriff’s Office."
"Our goal is to determine exactly what happened. As law enforcement professionals, we are sworn to preserve and protect life," Missoula Police Chief Michael Colyer stated. "We urge the public to respect the privacy of the family as they begin to grieve. These investigations take time, and no names will be released during this period."
No officers were injured.
- information from Emily Brown and Mark Thorsell included in this report
