A Kalispell man was arrested following an armed robbery and brief high-speed chase near Whitefish on June 25.
Conor McLean, 36, has been charged with assault with a weapon, robbery, criminal mischief/vandalism, criminal endangerment, resisting arrest, driving with a suspended license, violation of conditions of release and motor vehicle theft.
According to a press release from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement responded to the parking lot of a Columbia Falls restaurant at 9:15 a.m. on June 25 following a report of an armed robbery. While at the scene of the first incident, law enforcement received a report of another armed robbery near Whitefish. Officers from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Kalispell Police Department, Whitefish Police Department and Montana Highway Patrol all responded to the scene. When officers arrived, they found the suspect in a stolen pickup truck and tried to stop the vehicle. The suspect sped away, driving into oncoming traffic and nearly causing several accidents. The suspect then turned off the highway and drove through a fence and into a field where he was apprehended.
McLean has previously been convicted of criminal endangerment and criminal possession of drugs. Earlier this year, he was accused of threatening a police officer following an incident in Evergreen.