A pursuit of a murder suspect from Great Falls ended in Valier Friday night.
VALIER, Mont. - A pursuit of a murder suspect from Great Falls ended in Valier Friday night.
Around 5:40 pm Friday in Great Falls, neighbors reported hearing gunshots from inside a residence on the 1400 block of 3rd West Hill Dr.
The Great Falls Police Department (GFPD) says officers on scene found one person dead from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
A suspect was quickly identified and it was learned they had left the residence minutes before law enforcement arrived.
Pondera County Deputies were then made aware of the suspect who reportedly fled Great Falls in a black GMC truck.
The Pondera County Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy found the truck around 7:45 pm on Highway 44 near Conrad, and when deputies tried to make contact, the suspect fled west.
Deputies pursued the suspect, who reportedly at one point fired a pistol at law enforcement.
After continuing through Valier, deputies were able to block the suspect in at the Valier Pavilion boat ramp.
Several agencies including the Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, Glacier and Toole County Sheriff’s Office, Conrad Police, Blackfeet Law Enforcement, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the FBI were on scene.
A standoff between the suspect and negotiations then took place that ended around 11:00 pm when the suspect shot himself.
Pondera County Sheriff Robert Skorupa thanked the agencies that assisted in this event and commended the professional work of Pondera County Deputies. “It makes me very proud to know this community has deputies that work hard all the time to make this county a safer place,” Sheriff Skorupa said.
GFPD detectives are leading the investigation into the homicide on 3rd West Hill Dr. and community members should expect to see police activity at the residence throughout the day.
The Montana Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the death investigation in Pondera County.
Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter will release the name of the decedent in Great Falls when he determines it is appropriate to do so.
GFPD says further details are unable to be shared at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation.
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UPDATE AT 11:33 AM:
The Great Falls Police Department (GFPD) shared information on a shooting that led to a pursuit in Pondera County Friday night.
Around 5:40 pm Friday, neighbors reported hearing gunshots from inside a residence on the 1400 block of 3rd West Hill Dr.
GFPD says officers on scene found one person dead from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
A suspect was quickly identified and it was learned they had left the residence minutes before law enforcement arrived.
This led to the pursuit in Pondera County that ended when the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
GFPD detectives are leading the investigation into the homicide on 3rd West Hill Dr. and community members should expect to see police activity at the residence throughout the day.
The Montana Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the death investigation in Pondera County.
Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter will release the name of the decedent in Great Falls when he determines it is appropriate to do so.
GFPD says further details are unable to be shared at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation.
VALIER, Mont. - A pursuit of a murder suspect from Great Falls ended in Valier Friday night.
Pondera County Deputies were made aware of a suspect in a murder who reportedly fled Great Falls in a black GMC truck Friday evening.
The Pondera County Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy found the truck around 7:45 pm on Highway 44 near Conrad, and when deputies tried to make contact, the suspect fled west.
Deputies pursued the suspect, who reportedly at one point fired a pistol at law enforcement.
After continuing through Valier, deputies were able to block the suspect at the Valier Pavilion boat ramp.
Several agencies including the Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, Glacier and Toole County Sheriff’s Office, Conrad Police, Blackfeet Law Enforcement, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the FBI were on scene.
A standoff between the suspect and negotiations then took place that ended around 11:00 pm when the suspect shot himself.
According to Sheriff Robert Skorupa, normal procedure is being followed and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation will be conducting the investigation into the suspect’s death.
Sheriff Skorupa thanks the agencies that assisted in this unfortunate event and commends the professional work of Pondera County Deputies. “It makes me very proud to know this community has deputies that work hard all the time to make this county a safer place.”
We have reached out to the Great Falls Police Department for details leading up to the suspect fleeing Friday night and are waiting for more information.
