Man jailed after brief standoff

Deputies were able to talk a 29-year-old Lake County man into peacefully surrendering Monday afternoon after he allegedly fired a shot in St. Ignatius and hid during a brief standoff with law officers.

Keith Baylor was taken into custody after he allegedly fired a shot into the air while walking down a street in downtown St. Ignatius at around 3 p.m.

Montana Highway Patrol and Tribal Police helped Baylor down at a nearby residence that he regularly frequented.  

“The person who owns the house gave permission to check and said the male was in the house, but didn’t give it up right away,” Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said. “When the officer pulled up, he [Baylor] backed down the hall loading his rifle. We evacuated that person and the neighboring houses.”

After a half-hour the suspect emerged from the house and was transported to Lake County Jail. Charges were pending Tuesday morning.

Bell said Baylor has multiple outstanding warrants. He has absconded from probation and has two prior felony convictions in Lake County for burglary and one prior felony conviction in Cascade County for bail jumping.