Feb. 15—A man is in custody after allegedly exchanging gunfire with law enforcement during a standoff that drew a SWAT and K-9 response in Evergreen on Friday night.
Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a Swan Mountain Village Drive residence at 9:42 p.m. to investigate a report of people yelling and a man with a pistol outside the home, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office. The 911 caller said the man possibly had a gun pointed at someone.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they reportedly heard the suspect yelling profanities before going back inside the residence. According to the press release, deputies and Kalispell Police Department officers set up a perimeter around the home and attempted to call the suspect outside. The suspect went in and out of the residence several times, reportedly failing to follow officers’ commands. At 10:30 p.m., the man allegedly came outside and started shooting at officers, who then returned fire, causing the suspect to retreat into a garage.
The Northwest Montana Regional SWAT team was dispatched to the scene and reportedly continued attempts to contact the man with limited success. Gas was deployed into the residence with no results, officials said. Law enforcement eventually breached the garage, and the suspect allegedly continued to disregard commands. A K-9 was deployed and held the man so he could be placed under arrest.
The incident is under investigation by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation.