Update: A man involved in a standoff with police near the Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Tuesday evening died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds at approximately 3 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
He has been identified as Kristopher L. Jones, a 29-year-old Helena resident with local connections, according to a press release from the Kalispell Police Department.
Original story:
After a five-and-a-half-hour standoff with police near the Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Tuesday evening, a man suspected of robbery shot himself twice and was then quickly transported to the nearby hospital for medical attention.
At 5:33 p.m. on Tuesday, the Kalispell Police Department received a 911 call from the Medical Arts Pharmacy on Conway Boulevard. Police were told the pharmacy had just been robbed by a man with a handgun. The man had reportedly demanded and received prescription narcotics, along with a large amount of money, before fleeing the pharmacy on foot.
The suspect, who was described as approximately 6 feet and 250 pounds, fled southbound on foot before getting into a gray Ford pickup and speeding away northbound. His name is being withheld at this time.
Kalispell Police Department officers caught up with the man on nearby Windward Way. When the first officer arrived, the suspect placed a handgun to his head and told the officer to leave. The suspect then re-entered his vehicle and refused to come out. Additional KPD officers arrived, along with Flathead County sheriff deputies and Montana Highway Patrolmen.
Authorities established a perimeter around the vehicle. When it was ascertained that the suspect would not surrender, negotiators and the SWAT team were called.
Upon arrival, the SWAT team deployed the BEAR (Ballistic Engineered Armored Response) vehicle to block the suspect’s vehicle from fleeing. Negotiators established cell phone contact with the suspect. Negotiations lasted five-and-a-half hours before the suspect shot himself two times in quick succession. No shots were fired by law enforcement.
The man was immediately transported to KRMC for medical attention. An investigation into the robbery and subsequent events is underway.
The suspect has an outstanding felony warrant and is on felony probation for fraudulently obtaining dangerous drugs, according to the Kalispell Police Department.