Juvenile Arrested after Shots Fired from Side-by-Side in Arlee

For a short time on Monday afternoon, residents of Gray Wolf Drive in Arlee were notified by the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office to remain in their homes due to reports of a juvenile firing a weapon while riding a side-by-side UTV.

Public Information Officer Jeannette Smith provides details of the incident.

“At approximately 12:45pm on Monday, August 9, Missoula County Dispatch received a report from a caller on Gray Wolf Drive located in Arlee, Montana,” said Smith. “When they passed by a side-by-side UTV, the driver of the UTV pointed and reportedly shot at the caller’s vehicle. Missoula County Sheriff's deputies quickly responded. Also on scene were Tribal Fish and Game officers.”

Smith said the incident escalated as more shots were fired in the area.

“As time went on additional calls of a young male and a side-by-side pointing a gun, with possible shots heard were reported from residents on Vanderburg Lane in Arlee. One responding law enforcement vehicle was struck as shots were fired by the juvenile. The Missoula County Special Response Team was dispatched to the area at approximately 1:05 p.m. and a mutual aid request was made to Two Bear Air to assist in locating the juvenile.”

Smith said a situation that could have ended tragically was resolved peacefully with the arrest of the juvenile.

“As deputies were working to locate and detain the juvenile, Missoula County 9-1-1 on behalf of the sheriff's office issued a public safety notice, asking residents to remain inside their homes making sure their doors and windows were locked and to asking all others to avoid the area,” she said. “Missoula County Sheriff's Deputies and Special Response Team Members that were on duty located the juvenile male near the end of Vanderburg Lane, and officers confronted the armed juvenile. They used extreme caution and a high degree of restraint to bring the incident to a close peacefully and without incident.”

Sheriff T.J. McDermott praised the law enforcement personnel who responded to the incident.

“Sheriff TJ McDermott stated Missoula County Sheriff's deputies trained for incidents like these to keep our community safe,” she said. “He also stated that he's thankful for the quick response, but more importantly the safety of those living in the Vanderburg neighborhood and in Arlee. The professionalism exhibited by all law enforcement on scene brought this incident to a close peacefully.”

At this time, it is unknown if anyone was wounded by the shots fired from the UTV.