Chase damages three patrol cars

Two men in a van reportedly rammed a sheriff's deputy's car head-on Tuesday morning, starting a chase along the south side of Kalispell.

The chase ended with no serious injuries and two arrests.

Undersheriff Mike Meehan said the event began at about 6 a.m. when someone reported suspicious activity in the parking lot of the City Service bulk plant, south of town, where the van was spinning circles.

When deputies Travis Bruyer and Roger Schiff arrived, the men in the van drove into the parking lot of adjacent storage units, Meehan said.

The van driver then rammed Bruyer's new Dodge Intrepid patrol car head-on as Bruyer was parked, Meehan said, starting a pursuit that traveled to Rocky Cliff Road, where deputies Schiff, Sgt. Ernie Freebury and Phil Meredith formed a roadblock.

Meehan said the van rammed Schiff's vehicle, pushing it out of the way.

The chase continued up Airport Road and Foy's Canyon Road and then onto Patrick Creek Road.

About 3 1/2 miles up Patrick Creek Road, the van high-centered, Meehan said.

"They bailed out," he said of the two men. A foot chase followed.

Meehan said the Forest Service provided dogs that "flushed one out onto the road."

Meehan and patrol commander Peter Wingert found Michael Hackett, 29, of Kalispell walking on the road. He was "soaking wet from running through the woods and down through the creeks" for about three hours, Meehan said.

If Hackett was driving, he probably will be charged with felony assault on an officer, Meehan said.

Officers identified the other man as Donnie Fennell, 48, of Kalispell. He turned himself in on Tuesday evening and was reportedly jailed on a probation violation while officials determine charges.

Bruyer was treated at Kalispell Regional Medical Center for minor injuries, Meehan said.

"He did absolutely nothing wrong," Meehan said.

The patrol car sustained about $4,000 damage, Meehan estimated. Two other patrol cars also were damaged.

Detectives on Tuesday were investigating whether the two men were involved in the theft of a trailer, he said.

Meehan said he doesn't know what motivated the men to respond the way they did when officers first showed up.

"They were up to no good and they wanted to get out of there," he said.

Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at csabol@dailyinterlake.com