Butte officers shoot, kill man who allegedly pointed shotgun at them during domestic call

A man armed with a shotgun was shot and killed by police following a disturbance on Thursday night at a home in the 4800 block of Hope Road in Butte.

Just after 10:30 p.m., Butte Emergency Dispatch received a call from a woman who told a dispatcher her ex-husband had fired multiple gunshots at her, according to a police report.

The woman, who was not injured, had fled from the home she shared with the suspect.

According to the police report, initial officers arrived in the area approximately four minutes after the original call and spoke to the woman, who was on the street near the home.

After making sure she was safe, officers went looking for the ex-husband, who was in a garage attached to the home.

Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester said the man was armed with a shotgun. While officers gave verbal commands to the suspect to drop his weapon, the man allegedly raised his shotgun toward an officer, Lester said.

Sheriff Lester said officers then fired at the suspect, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

Officers attempted lifesaving measures, said the sheriff, and A-1 Ambulance and Butte Fire Rescue also arrived. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

Butte police requested investigative assistance from the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

“DCI investigators are at the scene and have been throughout the night,” Lester said. “DCI will conduct a thorough, independent investigation into the incident.”

The body of the male suspect, whose name has not been released, was taken to the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula for an autopsy.

No officers were injured. The names of the officers involved are not being released at this time.

The sheriff said additional information will be released when it becomes available.