After SWAT incident in Columbia Falls, no charges filed

No charges were filed against a Columbia Falls man after he was taken into custody by a SWAT team in Columbia Falls on Feb. 21.

After the arrest, Police Chief Chad Stephens noted that a mental health circumstances factored into the case.

The man allegedly threatened family members with a sword and rifle on the 400 block of Third Avenue West. The two victims got out of the home uninjured, leaving the 54-year-old male suspect in the house alone.  

Despite multiple attempts by Columbia Falls Police officers to convince the suspect to surrender, he refused and remained in the home, according to a press release issued at the time. 

Columbia Falls Police then requested assistance from the Northwest Montana Regional SWAT Team in taking the suspect into custody. The suspect eventually emerged from the home and confronted SWAT Team members, according to a press release. 

The suspect allegedly refused to follow commands. He was subsequently taken into custody with the use of less lethal munitions, which were fired behind him, and a canine, which took him down, officials said. The man suffered a few scratches and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Stephens noted that in his experience, bringing in the SWAT team under these trying circumstances often ends in a peaceful resolution, as SWAT teams have many more tools available that a patrolman doesn’t have.