Keith Wayne Krause, a registered violent offender, died of a gunshot wound to the head after attempting to walk away from a routine traffic stop in the 1500 block of South Fifth Street West.
Although an investigation into the exact manner of Krause's death is ongoing, nearby resident Heather Nichols said she heard a pop, looked outside her front door and saw a man lying on the ground. She then spoke to neighbors, who told her the man brandished a handgun after the police officer drew a Taser. Police found the gun under Krause's body.
Sheriff's Lt. Rich Maricelli said the initial investigation indicates the man probably shot himself, but said detectives have not dismissed any possibilities.
“There's a strong possibility that's what happened, but as coroner I cannot officially call it a suicide,” he said. “We have not determined the manner of death. There are a lot of possibilities that we have to consider in order to cover all our bases, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Krause had a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1982, when he was convicted of burglary and theft in Cascade County. In 1991, Krause was convicted of a robbery, and the following year, while in prison, he was convicted of felony assault, escape from a detention facility and possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner.
Most recently, Krause had allegedly been noncompliant with Montana's Violent Offender Registration Act, which requires offenders to register a current address with the Department of Corrections. Krause had allegedly not been living at the registered address.
Authorities had also been looking for Krause in relation to reports of gunshots fired along the Clark Fork River near West Broadway on Thursday afternoon.
“It is the guy we had been looking for,” Maricelli said.
Friday's events unfolded after a police officer stopped a car just after 5:30 p.m. and spoke to the female driver and the male passenger. The officer then returned to his patrol car to run their names, Maricelli said.
As the officer approached the vehicle again, Krause got out of the car and began walking away. The officer drew a Taser gun from his duty belt, and the man apparently turned toward him brandishing a handgun.
It's unclear whether the officer used the Taser on Krause before a single gunshot was fired.
Maricelli said the investigation will be lengthy, and detectives are comparing witness statements and reviewing video from the officer's patrol car.
The Missoula County Attorney's Office will likely conduct a coroner's inquest of the shooting, as per Missoula Police Department policy.
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