A 31-year-old Polson man was arrested over the weekend after leading police on a high-speed car chase through Lake and Sanders counties, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The man, Robert Stokes, had multiple arrest warrants prior to the chase that started in Pablo and went on for 45 minutes. He is now in custody in the Lake County Jail and has been charged with criminal endangerment, assault with a deadly weapon and multiple traffic violations, all-stemming from the chase.
The chase began shortly after 6:30 p.m. and at times reached 85 miles per hour as the 35-mile pursuit went from Pablo to Oliver Gulch Road near Hot Springs. Near Hot Springs, officers fired on the vehicle while trying to deploy stop sticks. After the vehicle stopped, Stokes took off on foot and was captured soon after.
The Lake County Sheriff Deputy who fired on the vehicle has been put on administrative leave while the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigates the shooting. Having an outside agency investigate a shooting is a standard procedure.
Flathead Tribal Police, Sanders County Sheriff, Ronan Police and the Montana Highway Patrol all took part in the pursuit.