Jury Rules Man’s Fatal Shooting by Police as Justifiable, Deemed ‘Suicide by Law Enforcement Intervention’
Billings, Montana – In a verdict that highlighted the tragic complexities of police confrontations, a coroner’s jury ruled Friday that no criminal action was involved in the death of 35-year-old Curtis Yellowtail. He was shot by law enforcement after a standoff in May 2022, near Fireside Lanes, where officers from the Billings Police Department (BPD) and a Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) officer were involved. Testimony during the inquest revealed that Yellowtail had pointed what appeared to be a genuine firearm at the officers. It was later discovered that the weapon was actually a toy cap … Read more