MPD Arrest Man For Damaging Cars and Leaving Heroin in a Patrol Car

At around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, Missoula Police officers responded to area of Inez and South 5th Street West for the report of a male smashing windows and damaging vehicles. According to Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh, the male was described to have a knife on him.

“The caller reported that a lone adult male was walking around the area and had damaged a couple of vehicles that were unoccupied and parked,” Welsh said. “The officers arrived in the area and encountered 32-year-old Wayne Showalter. He matched the description given by the complainant and was also in possession of a large knife.”

The investigating officers discovered that there were two vehicles involved that had suffered body and window damage. One witness told the officer he saw the male suspect use his forehead to bash a dent into the side of one vehicle. The witness also pointed out the second car that had the driver's side sliding rear door window bashed in.

Welsh said Showalter was disarmed and taken into custody, but officers discovered additional criminal activity.

“He is also being held on a charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence,” Welsh said. “The officers learned that he had attempted to discard a small baggie with a substance in it, which was later determined to be heroin, in the back seat of the patrol car.”

The officer searched the back seat of his patrol car before transporting Showalter to the jail and the baggie had not been present at that time. Showalter was charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor criminal mischief.