Billings residents and psychologists react to recent road rage incident

BILLINGS – A high-speed chase occurred in Billings Heights on Wednesday evening, leaving many residents in the area uneasy.

The chase ended on Artistocrat Drive after Billings police damaged the suspect's tires and the car became immobile. It started when the suspect was involved in a road rage incident that resulted in gunfire.

Billings police later attempted to conduct a routine traffic stop, not initially realizing the car was involved in the earlier incident. As the car sped away, officers linked the two incidents together.

“Dispatch determined very quickly that the vehicle matched the suspect’s description,” Billings police Lt. Matt Lennick said Thursday morning. “They were authorized to pursue because the vehicle failed to yield.”

This chase featured high speeds and passed through many different areas in the Heights. Residents who live near Aristocrat Drive witnessed the end of the chase.

“We heard sirens and I thought, 'Oh my God, something's going on,'” Samantha Duran said. “It's like a blur when they just walk by. You know, it’s really scary, especially because there are so many kids here.”

Other residents said the speeds were dangerous in a normally quiet neighborhood.

“That’s scary fast,” Ember Oland said. “So quickly it becomes super scary that our children might be there too. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Others feared the worst that could have happened. Annie Smith said her family had no idea the situation was happening so close to home.

“We had our windows open all night,” Smith said. “There is a gap between our fence in the backyard and they could have hidden here. So yes, it is very worrying. I mean, we have kids.”

Billings police said the suspect fled his vehicle after the pursuit ended. Lennick said they knew where the suspect ended up but couldn't do anything.

“They had gone as far as they could with the information they had,” Lennick said. “So at that point we had to break it all down.”

For this reason, the suspect has yet to be arrested, although Lennick assured MTN that there is no longer any danger to the public.

“We do not believe at this time that the suspect is looking for a place to go,” Lennick said. “They got where they needed to go.”

According to online newsroom The Trace, road traffic accidents involving shootings are increasing, increasing 400 percent nationwide from 2014 to 2023. MTN spoke with Brent Finger, psychology professor at MSU Billings, about some of the reasons why.

“One of the main causes of aggressive behavior is thwarting a person's goals,” Finger said. “This is called the frustration-aggression principle.”

Finger said the principle on the road stems from the frustration drivers feel when struggling to get from point A to point B. He said the level of violence to which anger escalates depends on the individual and their genetics, as well as how they were raised.

“The immediate reaction to having your goal thwarted is anger, but some of us are better at containing that anger than others,” Finger said. “Obviously that becomes a bigger problem if the person has a gun in the car.”

And with this issue seemingly unresolved, residents remain concerned about their safety.

“It causes a lot of stress and anxiety knowing he's still out there with a gun somewhere,” Duran said. “It makes me want to protect everyone here.”