EBS STAFF
BIG SKY – Two suspects have been apprehended in the early morning shooting of Broadwater County Sheriff Deputy Mason Moore near Three Forks. Deputy Moore pursued a vehicle following an apparent traffic violation at 3 a.m. this morning.
According to a statement released this morning by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch lost contact with Moore and other law enforcement officers arrived on scene to discover the deputy had been shot and killed. Moore was a three-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and a husband and father of three children.
The suspects were located in Silverbow County and another chase, by the Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Department, ensued. “They pursued them all the way through Missoula County,” Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin said. Shots were fired multiple times during the second pursuit.
The suspects, a father and son, have been identified and are in custody in Missoula County. They are 38-year-old Marshall Barrus of Gallatin County and 62-year-old Lloyd Barrus, last known address Bakersfield, California. Marshall was shot and is being treated.
The Broadwater County Attorney is consulting with the Missoula County Attorney and charges will be filed at a later time.
Highway 287, from I-90 south to Highway 2, is open after being closed this morning for investigation.