Billings Police will deploy more patrol personnel to MontanaFair

Billings, Montana – One year after a shooting left fairgoers in Billings horrified on a Monday night, fairgoers may anticipate seeing an increased presence of law officers at this month’s MontanaFair.

The Billings Police Department made the announcement on Tuesday that they will provide additional patrol officers to the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office to assist them in working the event, which will take place from August 11 to August 19.

According to a press release issued by Lieutenant Matt Lennick of the Billings Police Department, those Billings police will be brought in outside of their regular duties. However, this will not reduce the amount of officers assigned to routine patrol zones in the city.

In the Midway portion of the fair that was held at MetraPark the previous year on August 15th, a young adult guy in his teens or early 20s was shot in the leg. Even though police believe the man who was shot and the man who was injured knew one other, the shootings caused a chaotic scene at the fair, and many attendees fled in fear as a result.

They The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office has not made any public announcements on any arrests in relation to the incident. On Tuesday, Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder announced that his agency had finished its investigation and that it had sent its findings to the office of Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito.

As additional reason for heightened patrols, Lennick included in his press release a reference to a gunshot that occurred not too long ago in the region. Outside of the Berry’s Cherries used car lot carnival in May, a Billings man named Kian Manuel Banderas, age 20, was shot in the neck and ultimately passed away as a result of his injuries. According to witnesses, a big group of juveniles, some of whom were wearing masks, pursued Banderas out to his car and attacked him there.

No one has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting thus far. The investigation into the case has already consumed hundreds of hours of interviews, as well as the execution of search warrants and other tasks, and the Billings police department is not done yet.

Lennick asked anyone who observes activity that they believe may be illegal or suspicious during this year’s fair to either report it by calling the dispatch line at (406) 657-8200 or by approaching a deputy or officer who is present at the fair.