Officers catch chase suspect

Michael Allen Murphy, 32, arrested Thursday night at Kiwanis Park

About 18 officers were involved in the arrest of a fugitive at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

Michael Allen Murphy, 32, was being sought after leading police on two chases in and around Kalispell on Wednesday night and vowing he would not be taken alive.

On Thursday night, officers crept into Kiwanis Park after receiving a tip that Murphy was there.

Officers from the drug task force, Probation and Parole Department, the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and Kalispell Police Department surrounded Murphy as he was hiding in bushes.

Sergeant Bob Provo of the Sheriff's Office said that Murphy tried to run, but gave up. He was unarmed.

Murphy faces two felony endangerment counts and other charges stemming from the pursuits, Kalispell police Chief Frank Garner said.

A policeman was slightly injured Wednesday after rolling a patrol car in the chase. The event prompted customs officials 80 miles away in Canada to walk off the job, saying they thought the man might be going there.

The event Wednesday began at about 6:30 p.m., when officers with the Adult Probation and Parole Department, along with Kalispell police, went to Murphy's home in northwest Kalispell to conduct a search.

When Murphy saw the officers approaching, he fled in a black Cadillac Escalade, Garner said.

Officers chased the vehicle through residential and commercial areas of Kalispell and then west of town as far as Batavia before calling off the pursuit for public-safety reasons. Speeds reached 120 mph, and heavy traffic was on the highway, Garner said.

It was after the chase that Murphy reportedly called a Flathead County sheriff's deputy and allegedly said he wouldn't be taken alive and was not going back to prison.

Murphy has been convicted of two counts of forgery, two counts of theft, deceptive practices, and bail jumping, according to the Montana Department of Corrections. He reportedly has been to prison more than once.

It was a Montana Highway Patrol officer who next encountered Murphy at about 10 p.m. Another pursuit began near Whalebone Drive and looped around the Rocky Cliff and Foy's Canyon area. Near Foy's Lake, a sheriff's deputy laid out spikes to try to stop the Escalade, but that effort failed and the vehicle continued up Lone Pine.

Officer Brian Harris rolled his patrol car there, destroying it and injuring Harris, Garner said.

On Thursday, Garner was busy talking to reporters from Canada.

There, the border station at Roosville was shut down for about an hour and a half Thursday morning.

According to a story in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, management staff stepped in to run the border crossing.

Officers refused to work because of safety concerns. Such refusals are allowed under Canadian federal law, according to the newspaper.

Customs officers are unarmed in Canada, though they have been promised by the new conservative government that they will be provided weapons.

Garner said he doesn't know why Canadian officials thought that Murphy was bound for the border, because he had no vehicle after the pursuit ended.

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