Local officers involved in seach for men arrested in Missoula

By MICHELLE LOVATO

Lake County Leader

CSKT Tribal Law and Order Captain Louis Fiddler, one of his officers and one Lake County Sheriff’s deputy helped Montana Highway Patrol officers and a host of Missoula County law enforcement officers early May 27, hoping to help find two dangerous men thought to be in the area near the Missoula County/Lake County border. 

A violent armed robbery that transformed into a carjacking, multiple kidnapping, police-involved shooting, high- and low-speed chase through downtown Missoula and Highway 93 toward the north unfolded in the early hours of the day.

Two men later identified as Thomas Earl Dempsey, 36, and Nick West, 38, allegedly robbed a Missoula casino at about 4:30 a.m., then carjacked a Washington State family driving through the city.

The family was traveling with two children, two parents and a grand parent at the time of the carjacking, according to Missoula police officials.

Missoula police chased the two men who were driving a dark gray Chevy SUV and were reported to have shot at pursuing police. During the course of the chase, police officials said they negotiated the release of the two children and the grandmother at two separate Missoula locations, the official said.

Police then pulled back from the SUV and lost it. Later in the morning, the SUV was located near the Gray Wolf Casino as it was traveling north on Highway 93. The two kidnappers abandoned the vehicle and the two remaining victims, the official said.

Law enforcement officials from Missoula and Lake counties searched the area for the two men who were wearing dark clothing and carrying a tan pillowcase with three guns inside, the official said.

Arlee School District was not in session during the incident.

Fiddler said Lake County law enforcement professionals helped check homes in the area of the Grey Wolf Casino to make sure no vehicles were missing or that anyone inside a home was being held hostage.  The Lake County team helped for about three and one half hours, Fiddler said.

Dempsey was captured Friday after a tipster saw him leaving a Missoula motel.

West was arrested in Missoula Saturday.