Missoula Police Explain an Armed ‘Known Risk’ Traffic Stop

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Just after 10:00 a.m. on Monday, three Missoula City Police cars with lights and sirens engaged, sped down Brooks, sweeping into the entrance of the Lithia Ford parking lot and emerged with weapons drawn, in what was explained to KGVO News as a ‘known risk’ traffic stop.

Missoula Police Department Public Information Officer Whitney Bennett explained what is called a ‘known risk’ traffic stop.

A 'Known Risk Stop' Tactic Includes Weapons Drawn by Officers

“That is what we call a ‘known risk stop’ when we're going to do a felony stop,” began Officer Bennett. “What initiated this in the first place was actually a call that happened just before 9:00 a.m. There was a report of a burglary that had occurred (in a different part of Missoula), and so we had some officers who were following up on that and they observed a vehicle that was associated with the burglary just after 10:00 a.m. So these officers initiated a ‘known risk stop’.”

Bennett further explained the precautions taken to protect the officers, any bystanders and the possible suspects involved during the maneuver.

The Business was Told to Keep Employees and Customers Away from Windows

“This was outside of a business, so we contacted the business and let them know, ‘Hey, if you can get all your employees and customers away from windows, this is what's going on’ just to protect everybody that's involved,” she said. “We're establishing the control of the people and the scene. We are conducting this preliminary investigation, and then we're determining presence or absence of probable cause, tying to the initial crime of the burglary. In other words, you know, making sure this is the correct vehicle.”

One female was taken into custody and was charged with felony burglary.

There was a Second 'Known Risk Stop' just a Few Hours Later

Surprisingly, Bennett said there was a rare second ‘known risk’ traffic stop just a few hours later in a different part of town.

“We actually had another different scenario but this one was a ‘known risk stop’ on a stolen vehicle,” she said. “We had a corporal who ran a plate and the vehicle came back as stolen out of a different county, and so they conducted a known risk felony stop. Everybody was cooperative, but we had to stop traffic on East Broadway to prevent anybody being in the line of fire, so to say, you know, when we have firearms, we want to make sure that everybody in the community is safe, so we have to stop traffic.”

Bennett said no shots were fired in either ‘known risk stop’.

Both individuals were arrested and taken to the Missoula County Detention Center.