Police officer hit by car in Cut Bank, suspect shot

GREAT FALLS – The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating a “critical incident” in Cut Bank that occurred on Saturday, June 8, 2024.

A DCI press release states that at around 1:20 a.m., a Cut Bank police officer observed a “public disorder” on the street outside a bar. As the officer approached, the individual ran toward a vehicle parked in the Pioneer Bar parking lot.

When he was asked to get out of the car, the suspect ran over the police officer, who then fired at the man with his service weapon.

The 42-year-old suspect was hit by the gunfire and was in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon, according to DCI.

The officer was injured and received medical treatment. He is expected to make a full recovery. The officer has been placed on leave pending the investigation.

The names of the suspect and the officer have not yet been released.

“I am glad to hear that the officer survived the incident – it could have been a lot worse,” said DCI Administrator Bryan Lockerby. “Any critical incident investigation involving officers takes a significant amount of time as our agents are always attentive, focused and thorough in their examination of the scene and subsequent interview, ballistics and toxicology.”

“I am extremely thankful that our officer survived this critical incident,” said Cut Bank Police Chief Mike Schultz. “This event happened quickly and could have had fatal consequences for a valued public servant and his family.”

Cut Bank Police requested that the DCI investigate the vehicular attack and subsequent shooting in the interest of transparency.

The press release states that once the investigation is complete, the results will be presented to the Glacier County District Attorney for consideration of appropriate charges.

No further details have been announced at this time. We will let you know as soon as we receive more information.

MTN News