Sheriff’s Deputies Nab Armed Suspect Hiding In East Missoula Home
Missoula law enforcement has arrested William Newhoff after after more than six hours of searching and a lock down throughout east Missoula.
"At approximately 1:45 deputies with the Missoula County Sheriffs Office, members of our special response team and U.S. Marshalls were able to arrest William Newhoff inside a residence in the 800 block of Speedway Avenue without incident," said Missoula Sheriff T.J. McDermott. "At this time it is believed that he forcibly broke into the residence and was hiding."
McDermott says deputies found the suspect after going door to door searching trailers in the court near where Newhoff was found. It does not appear that the homeowner was home during the incident.
U .S. Marshalls and the Missoula County Sheriff’s office were busy thouhout the day, trying to apprehend Newhoff after Sheriff’s deputies identified a stolen vehicle at a hotel in East Missoula and began to pursue a suspect. According to Missoula County Sheriff T.J. McDermott, the suspect quickly fled from law enforcement at around 9:30 a.m.
"He left in the stolen vehicle, leading the deputies as well as U.S. Marshalls on a short vehicle pursuit where he drove through a business parking lot in East Missoula, over a berm, through a fence, struck a residence on Dakota Avenue in East Missoula, later crashing the stolen vehicle into a tree before fleeing on foot," McDermott said.
Deputies noticed that the suspect was carrying a weapon, which prompted a lock down of Missoula College and a warning that was sent throughout East Missoula.
"This individual we've identified as William Dale Newhoff, he's wanted on warrants and he is listed as a federal absconder. Being that he fled and that he is armed and dangerous we also reached out to schools and businesses and utilized 911 reverse to notify the community of the danger and had most of those communites and schools locked down.
K9 units patrolled the ground while police, deputies, and U.S. marshals set up a perimeter. In the afternoon, Two Bear Air even sent down helicopters to help search for the suspect. Newhoff has a long history of run-ins with Montana law enforcement and has been accused of forgery, theft, burglary, and even managed to escape from the Mineral County Jail back in 2009.