SEELEY LAKE — The death of a man is under investigation following a shooting and high-speed chase Saturday afternoon near Seeley Lake.
The Missoula County Sheriff spokesperson Jeannette Smith reports just after 3:00 p.m., a report of a male driver, heading south on Highway 83 near Seeley Lake, had passed another driver in an area with double yellow lines and then fired shots from the driver’s side window.
Smith says Fish, Wildlife, and Parks officers located the dark blue Toyota pickup traveling southbound on Highway 83.
Officers continued to follow the vehicle, from the intersection of Highway 83 and Highway 200, as the male driver went west on Highway 200.
The male driver was stopped near mile marker 20 on Highway 200. For the safety of first responders and the public, traffic along Highway 200 was delayed.
Smith said law enforcement directed the male suspect to exit the vehicle. According to Smith, the suspect was not compliant with law enforcement commands. Just after 3:30 p.m., the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was mobilized.
Smith said a gunshot was heard from the suspect vehicle. Additional commands were given to the suspect to exit the vehicle. No response was provided by the suspect.
When law enforcement approached the suspect's vehicle, the man was unresponsive. Despite life-saving measures by law enforcement, the man was deceased. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will serve as coroner for the incident.
The Montana Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating the incident.
