High-speed chase goes in and out of Havre

A high-speed chase involving Montana Highway Patrol, Havre Police Department and Hill County Sheriff’s Office went in and out of Havre before ending with flat tires on the van being pursued in a field northwest of Havre Tuesday evening.

Details on the arrest were not available this morning, but the Hill County Detention Center inmate population list this morning showed Christopher Hammond being held without bail on felony charges of three counts of criminal endangerment and a count of criminal mischief and on $2,155 bond on charges of fleeing, driving while a habitual offender and improper passing, all issued by Montana Highway Patrol, and on $330 bond on a charge of failure to appear at Justice Court issued by the Hill County Sheriff’s Office.

A Havre Daily News staff member witnessed the chase, including when it was going south on Second Avenue, reporting the chase to the paper at 5:21 p.m.

The trooper who was involved in the chase was not available this morning, and Hill County Sheriff’s Office referred all questions to Highway Patrol.

The departments’ call logs say assistance from the sheriff’s office was requested at 5:20 p.m. and from the police department at 5:22 p.m.

Havre police confirmed that the chase occurred, starting with an attempted stop by Highway Patrol, and included three people leaving the vehicle, one of whom was taken to the police department for questioning, after the van went up Ridge Road near Northern Montana Hospital.

The vehicle ended turning south on U.S. Highway 87 then turned north on 82nd Avenue West.

Hill County Sheriff Office personnel were able to flatten some tires on the vehicle with spike strips on U.S. Highway 2 near Big Sandy Creek Bridge, but the vehicle proceeded, turning north on county roads before coming to a stop in a stubble field.