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| Onlookers overlooking the scene of the Billings Walmart shooting |
(UPDATED - see below) 42-year-old Dean Randolph Jess broke out of Montana State Prison. He was spotted in a stolen vehicle in a Billings, Montana, Walmart parking lot. When police arrived, they blocked his exit from the parking lot. This is when Jess pulled out a gun and fired on police. Police fired back, hitting and killing Jess.
From an article, with video of the scene and interview with police.
A sheriff's deputy driving back from Laurel swung past the West End Wal-Mart and saw a green Jeep Rubicon leaving the parking lot. Linder said that officer and two others who quickly joined him positioned their vehicles to block the Rubicon.
Linder arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and said he could see the man in the Rubicon holding a pistol in front of his chest. Linder said the deputies shouted at the man repeatedly to put the gun down and get out of the vehicle.
At one point, Linder said, one deputy shouted "Don't do it!"
"At that time, shots were fired," Linder said.
Just one deputy fired multiple rounds from his Glock 21 .45-caliber handgun, striking Jess an unknown number of times, Linder said. Deputies then broke into the Jeep and pulled Jess from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Linder said the deputy, who was placed on leave pending an investigation of the shooting, evidently thought Jess was raising the gun in his direction. Linder said he was behind the deputy when the shooting happened and couldn't see where Jess's gun was at that point.
"The deputy felt that his life was in danger," Linder said.
King Avenue West was shut down for several hours during and after the standoff.
Witnesses at the scene said at least six deputies surrounded the Jeep, and after several minutes of shouting at Jess to drop his gun they tried to smash out the Rubicon's windows with their batons, without success.
Witnesses thought they heard four shots.
“Everyone was pointing guns at the car and then I heard ‘Get out of the car. Get out of the car. Get out of the car,’" said one bystander who was stopped at the intersection right behind the sheriff’s vehicle that pulled Jess over. "But the guy didn’t move. Then they started breaking the glass and then pop, pop, pop, pop."
Immediately after the shots were fired, Jess was pulled from the vehicle and set on the ground, where he was motionless. The hatchback of the Rubicon was opened to reveal camping equipment and what appeared to be fishing waders.Walmart. Save money. Die faster.
UPDATE (7/9/13): The officer who shot Jess is identified as Lieutenant Shane Skillen. See HERE for news video of the shooting and aftermath.
Update (4/16/14): The officer who shot Jess, Lt. Skillen, has been cleared of wrongdoing during the inquest. It's clear that Jess intended suicide-by-cop. He was shot four times by Skillen before dying.
