Gunman shot by deputy at Marion

A 56-year old Marion man was shot by a Flathead County deputy Saturday at the scene of a domestic dispute.

He died at the scene. His name was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

According to Flathead Sheriff Jim Dupont, a domestic violence call involving weapons was received by the department around 2 p.m. Saturday.

Officers responded to the residence on Newlin Drive East in Marion where a man had his wife held in a hostage situation. In the first encounter with deputies, the man fired a few rounds into the yard with a rifle.

Dupont said the shift supervisor was on the scene negotiating with the man to release his wife.

"Eventually, he let her go," Dupont said.

The man put his rifle down and came toward the deputies who told him to stop. Sheriff Dupont said that he couldn't comment on what happened after that because he didn't know.

The encounter was still under investigation at press time Saturday by the Kalispell Police Department.

Since the man was shot by a deputy, Dupont asked Kalispell Police Chief Frank Garner to have his department investigate the shooting.

Dupont said the Lake County coroner was also called in to ensure objectivity.

The sheriff said that department policy in the event of a shooting requires that the deputy involved go on leave. Dupont has not yet released the name of the deputy.

"Next week we'll have a shooting review board," Dupont said.

The review will include the Kalispell Police Department's investigation as well as testimony from officers on the scene of the incident.

Dupont said that the law also requires a coroner's inquest.