An 8-hour standoff with a shooting suspect came to a close in Billings Friday, April 23rd thanks to the diligence and dedication of MFPE members working in the Billings Police Department, the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, the Montana Highway Patrol, and the Department of Criminal Investigation. Following a high-speed chase from Laurel to Billings’ West End, a vehicle containing two suspects crashed in Billings West End and police arrested the passenger and took her into custody. An investigation into the crash scene uncovered a body in the vehicle, though no identity or cause of death has been announced. The second suspect, thought to potentially be involved in a shooting earlier this week in Billings, fled to the Ridgewood Lane Court neighborhood and entered a vacant home, beginning an hours-long, armed standoff. 

Though the standoff eventually ended with a firefight that took the male suspect’s life, Billings Police Chief Rich St. John said in a press conference, “I just want to point out that debate we hear nationally on de escalation techniques I think was highlighted here by the police, sheriffs, and our enforcement partners. Eight hours [when] we used everything we possibly could to resolve this thing peacefully… When we are using robots, drones, cell phones, throw phones, loudspeakers, anything possible over the span of eight hours, you can see the respect of the sanctity of life that law enforcement in Yellowstone County and across the state, for that matter, has.”

MFPE is proud to represent Montana’s law enforcement professionals who do work that matters every day to keep our communities safe.