BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A man died of gunshot wounds he suffered when he pointed a gun at Billings police officers who were trying to take him into custody, police said Tuesday.
Officers responding to a reported disturbance at about 10:20 p.m. Monday encountered three suspects.
A 29-year-old man from Box Elder was not cooperative and officers tried to place him in handcuffs to get control of the situation, Police Chief Rich St. John said Tuesday. One officer attempted to use a stun gun on the man without success, St. John said.
The man kept his hands pinned under his body and at one point was able to pull a semi-automatic gun and point it at officers, St. John said. An officer noticed the gun, called out a warning and officers Ryland Nelson and Justin Bickford shot the man several times.
The Box Elder man was taken to the hospital, where he died. His name has not been released, but he was on parole and known to police, St. John said.
Nelson and Bickford have been placed on paid administrative leave, per policy, while the shooting is investigated.
There were no other injuries reported, police said.
None of the officers were wearing body cameras, but cameras on the patrol vehicle recorded video and audio, St. John said.
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