McElmury Arrested in Billings

In a scene out of a Hollywood movie, a Cody man led Billings police on a 50-minute pursuit Monday evening, ending in the man’s arrest.
Police Chief Rich St. John said Tuesday it is amazing that no one was hurt or killed during the incident, including the suspect, 41-year-old Ryan McElmury of Cody.
Officers responded to a business break-in just after 10 p.m. Monday and encountered two men, St. John said. One surrendered and the other, believed to be McElmury, fled on foot. The Chief pointed out that in the next fifty minutes, McElmury led police on a path of destruction.

The suspect broke into buildings and houses, demanded keys and carjacked two vehicles at gunpoint, as well as stealing two vehicles that had keys in the ignitions. Officers twice fired shots at him, once when he was reportedly driving the first stolen vehicle toward an officer and again shortly before he surrendered when he drove toward officers a second time.
Two police officers, a sheriff’s deputy and a Montana Highway Patrol officer are on paid administrative leave while the shootings are investigated, and St. John said that six police cars will be out of service for a while, adding that only minor injuries were reported during the incident.

Chief St. John pointed out that if McElmury hadn’t fled from the first break-in, the only charges pending against him would be burglary. McElmury is being held at the Yellowstone County Jail in Billings.