Officers shoot man in Kalispell

Two Kalispell Police officers opened fire Tuesday afternoon on a man allegedly holding a gun in a west Kalispell home.

The injured man was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center and underwent surgery.

According to a press release from Kalispell Police, the officers responded to a call about a suicidal woman at 1:19 p.m. at 145 Looking Glass Ave. in a subdivision off of Three Mile Drive.

While officers spoke to the woman, a man allegedly emerged from the back of the home carrying a rifle. The man would not comply with police commands, raised his rifle and pointed it at the officers, who both fired at him.

The man dropped the weapon and fell to the floor, where the officers rendered first aid.

He was undergoing surgery late Tuesday afternoon, according to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry, who was supervising the scene as the investigation progressed.  

“We are investigating the incident at the request of KPD,” Curry said. “We are in the early stages of investigation.”

The victim’s condition was unknown.

The woman was transported to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset said that it is unknown how many shots hit the man.

The two officers have been placed on leave according to department policy.

Nasset said the department has had only three officer-involved shootings in the past 28 years.

“It doesn’t happen very often,” Nasset said.

Nasset said Kalispell officers are not equipped with body cameras that record video, but they do have audio recording equipment that can help investigators determine what happened.

Other than law officers cordoning off the end of Looking Glass Drive, all was quiet in the neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. Nearby neighbors said they did not know what happened.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.