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Bigfork man jailed following brief standoff with police

Bigfork man jailed following brief standoff with police
Bigfork man jailed following brief standoff with police
Posted at 11:04 AM, Dec 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-02 18:33:50-05

A Bigfork man is behind bars following a Tuesday evening incident that resulted in a short standoff with law enforcement.

Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino says deputies were called out to the 400 block of Alpine Drive in Bigfork at approximately 4 p.m. for reports of a disturbance with a weapon.

Dispatch was advised of a male outside the reporting party’s residence was firing a gun.

The caller hid in her basement while waiting for law enforcement to arrive, according to Sheriff Heino.

Bigfork Police Standoff.jpg

The reporting party later told deputies that an older man had driven up to her home on an ATV and shot the windows out of the vehicles parked in her driveway.

Sheriff Henio says deputies determined the suspect – who has been identified Ronald D. Clackler -- lived at a nearby residence where the ATV was spotted.

Clackler refused to talk with responding deputies or to leave his home despite the repeated efforts of law enforcement.

Sheriff Henio says the Flathead County and Kalispell Police Department SWAT teams were called to the scene and were able to take Clackler into custody after a short stand-off.

Clackler is now being held in the Kalispell jail on pending charges of Assault with a Weapon, Criminal Mischief and Resisting Arrest.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the incident.