Missoula, MT – A tense standoff at the Hollywood Trailer Park in Missoula came to a peaceful resolution Wednesday afternoon after a 50-year-old man was taken into custody following a stabbing incident that led to a barricade situation.
The incident began early Wednesday morning when the Missoula 911 dispatch center received a call reporting a stabbing in the 1700 block of Cooley Street. According to witnesses, an argument over a telephone escalated into violence, with the suspect allegedly stabbing a man during the dispute.
Witness Jackie Hager, who had just woken up at the Hollywood Trailer Court, described the chaotic scene. “Having a dispute over a telephone, he got in the middle of it. He was glad that he was scared and ran, and then he stabbed him,” Hager said.
Police arrived at the scene and found the victim, who was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the suspect barricaded himself inside a nearby residence, prompting a swift response from the Missoula Police Department (MPD), including the establishment of a perimeter around the trailer park and the deployment of a SWAT team.
The situation quickly escalated as police worked to contain the suspect, who remained inside the home for several hours. Hager, who was nearby, described the fear she felt as police moved her from the area. “It was scary. I didn’t know if they had guns on me or not, and they did,” she said, reflecting on the tense moments.
Local resident Greg Mergenthaler, who witnessed the police presence, noted that it was not the first time the trailer park had been the site of a law enforcement response. “A few years ago there was a drive-by shooting here. My truck got shot three times. SWAT people in that yard over there and they were aimed at a house over here. Just a couple months ago there was a Bearcat down there,” Mergenthaler recalled.
Mergenthaler, like many others in the neighborhood, expressed concerns about safety at the trailer park. “A lot of us do have cameras and they have solved crimes, but cameras do not stop the crime,” he added.
Around 1 p.m., MPD negotiators were able to make contact with the suspect, convincing him to surrender peacefully. He was taken into custody without further incident and is facing charges for assault with a weapon. His identity has not yet been released.
As law enforcement officials entered the residence to continue their investigation, they discovered a potential gas leak in the home, prompting the evacuation of nearby residents. The Missoula Fire Department was called to the scene to address the issue. The area was cleared by 1:30 p.m., and the shelter-in-place advisory was lifted.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and police are continuing to gather information to determine the circumstances that led to the altercation. Meanwhile, residents of the Hollywood Trailer Park are left to reflect on yet another unsettling episode in a neighborhood that has seen its share of violence in recent years.
