BILLINGS — Caleb Denny, who was shot by a police officer in Billings last week, has been arrested after being released from the hospital.
The Billings Police Department says Denny, 28 years old and from Box Elder, was arrested and booked into the Yellowstone County jail on Sunday, March 29, 2026, after he was released from the hospital, police said in a news release on Monday.
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Denny faces several charges: three counts of assault on a peace officer, criminal possession of dangerous drugs, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, and criminal trespass to a vehicle.
The shooting happened on Thursday, March 26, when officers responded to a report of a suspect who had broken into a vehicle in the 2600 block of North 26th Street.
Officers encountered the man - later identified as Denny - who ran away, leading to a brief chase.
POLICE BRIEFING (March 27)
During the chase, Denny reportedly reached for a firearm from his waistband. Officer Quin Johnson fired at the man, who was struck in the head.
The news release states: "Additional officers arrived on scene and continued issuing verbal commands; however, the suspect failed to comply and remained in possession of the firearm."
Officers then fired a beanbag round, after which Denny moved away from the firearm and was safely taken into custody.
Officers rendered first aid until emergency medical personnel arrived; Denny was then taken to a Billings medical facility for treatment.
A Model 1911 .45 caliber firearm was recovered at the scene, according to police.
An officer-in-training and another backup officer were also at the scene during the shooting. All three officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
An independent review will be conducted before the case is forwarded to the Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office for further evaluation.
(1st REPORT, MARCH 26) An investigation is underway after a person was reportedly shot by a police officer in Billings on Thursday, March 26, 2026. It happened along the 1200 block of North 26th Street at about 1:25 p.m.
Brooke Bigler and her son were outisde when she heard a gunshot: “Me and my son were coming back from the gym and we were just walking up the street and I noticed that there was a lot of cops and that's happened like a few times this year. So I was like, okay. But then I heard someone shout and I heard a gunshot. So we just ran inside and then there was like seriously like 30 cops and I was like, wow, it's a lot.”
Bob Bratton, who has lived in the area for nearly 50 years, said he was alerted by a neighbor and came outside to find the street filled with emergency responders.
“I just saw a person, looked like a male, laying on the on the street out in the middle of the street in front of my house,” said Bratton. “I just couldn't imagine what had happened."
The Billings Police Department said that a male suspect was taken to a Billings hospital with "unknown severity of injuries."
No officers were injured during the incident.
No other details have been released at this point, including the name of the person who was injured, his current medical condition, or what led to the shooting.
The agency said there is no threat to the public, and that more information will be released on Friday.
