A special encounter at the McClay Bridge

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) – On July 25, 2024, Missoula County Sheriff’s officers were called to a report of a shooting at the McClay Bridge. A detective was also on scene and interviewed three NorthWestern Energy employees. They were called to River Pines because a gas line had burst.

The workers had finished working on the gas line and gathered in the middle of the road to discuss the situation. As they discussed, all three heard a motor vehicle coming toward them at a high rate of speed, which seemed unsafe given the conditions and hazards on the road caused by the storm.

They felt like they had to jump into the ditch to avoid being hit by the vehicle. All three described the vehicle being occupied by a male driver. An employee took a photo of the driver, including the license plate number.

The detective checked the license plate and found that it was a vehicle registered to 32-year-old Issac Dixon. The detective also found that Dixon had received citations for being known to carry a handgun in the glove compartment of his car.

An employee saw Dixon running into fallen trees in the street. He said Dixon began rocking back and forth to free himself from the trees. He also reported seeing something reflective in Dixon’s hand that he believed was either “a bottle of liquor” or a firearm.

The employees were driving over the McClay Bridge and after crossing the bridge, their truck became entangled in a downed power line. One employee attempted to free his truck while another employee watched Dixon’s vehicle behind him. At this point, Dixon drove around them at a high rate of speed. Dixon drove around a fallen tree and through a yard. Dixon also nearly collided with a Jeep and narrowly missed a water pump.

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports

Dixon’s vehicle then disappeared behind a fallen tree on North Avenue. That’s when employees heard gunshots. One employee yelled “bullets, run!” Another reported hearing bullets “whizz” past her head. The other employee reported that his windshield was struck by a bullet while he was sitting in his vehicle. He reported that the bullet did not penetrate the windshield and appeared to have deflected upward. The detective later examined the windshield and found a deformation that indicated a bullet had struck it.

They then ran across the McClay Bridge to escape the gunfire. A short time later, Dixon was found by police and arrested. In Dixon’s backpack, the detective found a 5-shot .38 caliber revolver. Dixon is currently charged with three counts of assault with a weapon. His bail has been set at $1,000,000.

The information in this article comes from publicly available sources..