Police Arrest Man for Tampering With a Witness and Violating Probation

At around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Missoula police received a welfare check call and responded to a residence in the 300 block of Blaine street. Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh says officers were checking on minor children.

“The officers responded and made contact with an adult male at the residence who invited them in to see the children,” Welsh said. “The man at the residence was on probation and a probation officer did accompany the officers to the scene. While there, they made observations that prompted the probation officer to conduct a search of the residence pursuant to the male’s probation conditions.”

According to Welsh, items associated with drug activity were found during the search and the male was placed under arrest for violating his probation. The male was identified as 30-year-old Jacob Thomas and officers continued their investigation.

“The officers made contact with an adult female at the residence who was involved as a witness in a previous case,” Welsh said. “The officers learned from the female that the male had been attempting to influence her statement or asking her to retract the previous state she had made.”

As a result, Thomas now faces two felony charges that include tampering with a witness and probation violation.