Man shot, killed by Fort Belknap police after chase started near Hays

This story originally was filed Oct. 25, 2021.

Fort Belknap Indian Community Council reported in a post on its Facebook page that a man was shot and killed by Fort Belknap police after a chase that started when the officer tried to make a traffic stop and the driver did not stop.

Fort Belknap Police Department referred a call from Havre Daily News to the administration at the council offices, but a call to its public information officer had not been returned by printing deadline this morning.

FBI Information Officer Sandra Barker confirmed this morning that the bureau is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred in the early morning Saturday, in which the officer was not injured, but said she could not provide more information in an ongoing investigation.

The Blaine County coroner was not available when the Havre Daily News called this morning to find out if the name of the person shot had been released.

The Facebook posts did not release the name of the person shot or the officer involved, or whether the officer has been suspended while the incident is investigated.

The first post on the Facebook page said an officer attempted to make a traffic stop in the Hays area, but the vehicle did not stop and a pursuit ensued.

When the pursuit ended, the suspect was reported not to have been cooperative and exhibited a weapon, the post said. That led to the officer-involved shooting and the death of the suspect, the post said.

The officer notified dispatch and requested emergency medical services, the post said. Officers and emergency medical services providers attempted to administer first aid to the person shot, the post said.

The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office was notified to assist and FBI was requested to investigate, the notice said.

A post Sunday updating the report said information that can be released is limited due to the ongoing investigation. Fort Belknap Indian Community Law Enforcement is not conducting the investigation but is assisting the FBI as requested, it said.

The post added that Bureau of Indian Affairs has informed the council it will be sending law enforcement officers to the reservation to assist in providing law enforcement services.

The post also advised people that threats against any people or property made orally or on social media or in other written form will be “seriously investigated and prosecuted where warranted.”