About 6:30 p.m., police dispatch received a report of a person throwing flaming objects from a car window on I-90. Multiple brush fires were reported along I-90 in the area. After a Columbus police officer, Stillwater County deputy, and a Montana Highway Patrol trooper found the suspected vehicle traveling westbound on I-90, the driver sped up beyond the speed limit but eventually stopped near mile marker 403. During the stop, the driver reportedly refused to cooperate, and the trooper shot and killed him with a shotgun.
Agency: Montana Highway Patrol
Motive: Traffic violation, Erratic behavior
Confrontation Type: Traffic Stop
Service Call: No
Body Camera: No
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Charles Craig Meeks
Death Date: November 13, 2020
County: Stillwater
Geography: Rural
Gender: Male
Age: 38
Race: White
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Unclear
Weapon: undetermined
Threat Level: other
Fleeing: car
Washington Post Database ID: 6349