Man gives up after standoff

Kalispell police cordoned off an apartment complex in south Kalispell Thursday afternoon during a standoff with an armed man who has a history of mental illness.

After "tenuous" negotiations that lasted for about three hours, Todd Franklin, 32, emerged from his apartment on the 1700 block of First Avenue West and surrendered to police, a department press release said.

Trouble with Franklin began at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where he had gone to seek help from a particular doctor. Franklin became agitated when he was told that doctor was not working and was unavailable.

He refused to see any other doctor and left the hospital.

But before leaving, Franklin "informed medical personnel that it was likely he was going to harm someone, and they would be responsible," the department's press release stated. "Franklin has a history of mental illness and assault, which prompted concerns about his welfare and the welfare of others."

Police started searching for Franklin and soon after found him at his apartment.

"When officers approached his apartment, Franklin shouted obscenities, made threats and refused to come out of his apartment," the release says.

Franklin soon after called a friend and told him he was highly agitated, was in possession of weapons, and would shoot at officers if they approached his apartment. Police then established a perimeter around the apartment building and evacuated immediate neighbors.

Traffic was diverted away from the area on First Avenue West, with help from the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and the Montana Highway Patrol.

The police Special Response Team, negotiators and medical personnel from the Kalispell Fire Department were soon at the scene.

Franklin at one point called the police department to advise "that he had more ammunition than the officers and that he would shoot through the doors and walls if he heard them outside his apartment," the press release states.

But after three hours of tense negotiations over the telephone, Franklin walked out of his apartment and surrendered.

"He did have a bolt-action rifle in the residence," Kalispell police officer Jim Wardensky said. "Nobody ever observed him brandishing it. When he surrendered and came out of the residence, he didn't have it with him."

Franklin was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation, and he spent the night there under guard.

On Friday, he made an initial appearance in Justice Court, where another hearing was scheduled for April 15 to determine what kind of ongoing treatment he needs.

As of Friday afternoon, Franklin was hospitalized at Pathways Treatment Center in Kalispell, Wardensky said.