Montana Deputy Fatally Shot During Pursuit

May 16, 2017
Broadwater County Deputy Mason Moore was fatally shot while pursuing a vehicle along U.S. Highway 287 near Three Forks early Tuesday.

A Broadwater County, Montana Sheriff's deputy was fatally shot while pursuing a vehicle on a highway early Tuesday morning.

Deputy Mason Moore was involved in the pursuit along U.S. Highway 287 near Three Forks around 3 a.m. when the shooting occurred, according to The Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin said that local law enforcement and the Montana Highway patrol responded after the deputy lost contact with dispatchers and found the three-year veteran of the force dead on the side of the road.

"This is a tremendously sad day for all of us here in Broadwater County," Broadwater County Sheriff Wynn Meehan told reporters. "It's difficult to adequately describe how devastating it feels to lose one of our own in the line of duty. Our deputy died protecting the citizens of our county and displayed remarkable courage until the very end. His actions will never be forgotten."

The deputy's patrol car was found in a ditch and its dashboard camera video was used to identify the vehicle being pursued.

The SUV was later located in Butte-Silver Bow County near Anaconda, and a pursuit began that ended about 35 miles east of Missoula after the vehicle's tires were flattened by spike strips.

The passenger in the SUV, identified as 39-year-old Marshall Barrus, got out and began shooting at officers and was shot by officers before being taken to a hospital. The driver, identified as the gunman's father, 61-year-old Lloyd Montier Barrus, was taken into custody without further incident.

The incident is currently under investigation.

Officer.com will provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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