Mourners demand details following death of Blackfeet member

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 8/24/21

Twenty-one year old Brendon Galbreath was described as a “game-changer” for his community on the Blackfeet Reservation. The former Browning High School student held a 4.0 GPA, was involved in various clubs and traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet then-First Lady Michelle Obama. That changed in the early hours of Aug. 12 when he was killed during what police are calling an “officer-involved shooting” in Missoula after he was pulled over for an undisclosed reason, according to Montana Free Press. The traffic stop led to a vehicle chase, gunfire was reportedly exchanged, and Galbreath was given medical aid until he was transported to St. Patrick’s Hospital. Following an initial investigation, the state Division of Criminal Investigation said evidence “strongly indicated” that he died from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Galbreath’s family has said they’ve been given few additional details about what happened. According to the family, they have received confusing and conflicting information so far and no video footage of Galbreath’s final hours has been released. “Missoula Police Department hears your request,” a statement released by the Missoula Police Department said, according to a report by Montana Free Press. “The Missoula Police Department is communicating directly with the Galbreath family in an effort to help them understand the events of Brendon’s death and the investigation process. When additional details are available, they will be shared with the community.”