Disturbance at the POV Leads to Drug Discovery in Missoula

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On August 21st, 2024, a Missoula Police Department officer responded to the Poverello Center for follow-up of a disturbance. An employee contacted dispatch stating that there was a video of the incident. Once at the Poverello, the officer reviewed the surveillance video and observed Jane Doe seated behind a bike rack next to the north doors.  

She remained in this position for the entirety of her interaction with 52-year-old Hiram Smalllegs. She made no motion to go toward him or any effort to engage with him. In the video, Smalllegs starts to yell at Doe, approaches her, and then stands over her. While yelling, he picks up what appears to be a wooden frame of some kind and starts swinging it at Doe, hitting the bike rack in front of her.  

He then swings the wooden object again, hitting the bike rack. However, this time the wooden object shatters. Doe flinches at this point in the video and it appears some of the splinters hit her. Smalllegs, then gets within inches of Doe’s face and appears to yell at her some more. Then Smalllegs gets close to Doe’s face and spits on her.  

According to court documents, Doe and Smalllegs had been in an intimate relationship. Smalllegs was then arrested for partner family member assault. During the search incident to arrest, a clear glass pipe was located. The officer recognized this pipe as the type commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. 

While Smalllegs was being transported to the jail, he removed his shoe and repeatedly kicked the floorboards and back seat of the patrol car. The officer remanded custody of Smalllegs to booking staff at the jail and then examined the back seat. The floor was covered with white powder and there were small chunks of a clear crystalline substance. The officer believed this substance appeared to be methamphetamine.  

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Reports

The officer collected the suspected meth and also located a small plastic bag with white residue on the floorboard where Smalllegs was sitting. The substance was tested using the Tru-Narc device and it returned positive for methamphetamine.  

Smalllegs is currently being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs,  criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and PFMA first offense. His bond was set at $2,500. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.