Man Tries to Flee From Police on a Stolen Bike, is Arrested for a Felony Warrant

At around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, a Missoula police officer was patrolling an area where a number of bicycles were recently stolen. The officer was in the 1600 block of Wyoming street and he observed a male on a bicycle that matched the description of a bike that was reported stolen back in June.

“The officer also thought that the male riding the bicycle looked familiar,” Welsh said. “The male actually got off his bike and went into a business. That gave the officer an opportunity to look more closely at the bike. He determined that the bike was in fact the one that was reported stolen. As he was waiting for the rider to come out, he repositioned his car. As he was doing that, he noticed the male riding the same bicycle away from the business.”

According to Welsh, the officer pulled up next to the bicyclist in the parking lot and told him to stop.

“The bicyclist refused and in fact sped away on his bicycle,” Welsh said. “It was a short pursuit and other officers converged on the area. The suspect was apprehended near the intersection of River and California street after he crashed into the vehicle of other officers who eventually took him into custody. The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Benjamin King.”

Officers also learned that King had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest and he was taken into custody. He now faces a handful of charges for attempting to flee and for possessing the stolen bicycle.