On Wednesday, the Montana Highway Patrol was involved in a high-speed chase in Cascade and Lewis and Clark counties.
Brandon Belts, 31, of Shelby, made his initial appearance in court Thursday before Paul Whitham, who was filling in for Justice of the Peace Mike Swingley. Swingley was testifying at Thursday’s coroner’s inquest.
(WATCH: Man accused of leading MHP on high-speed chase that ended near Lincoln appears in court)
Belts has been charged with four felony counts: two counts of assault with a weapon, one count of criminal endangerment, and one count of aggravated fleeing from or eluding a peace officer.
Around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday near Vaughn, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle whose license plate could not be seen.
While the trooper was ordering the driver out of their vehicle, a passenger hopped in the driver's seat and drove away, initiating a pursuit on Highway 200.
During the hour-long pursuit, speeds reached over 100 miles per hour, and spike strips were deployed.
In court documents, troopers said they feared for the lives of civilians and the officers involved.
Before the vehicle could reach Lincoln, troopers performed a pit maneuver to end the chase.
Trooper said they saw a man, who they later identified as Belts, fleeing on foot from the crashed vehicle. He was eventually tased and taken into custody.
Belts’ bond was set at $100,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned in district court on Tuesday, November 25, at 8:30 am.
