Billings Police Department

Chief St. John: "Support has just been amazing. Very appreciative of that. He is in stable condition, doing well, on the way to recovery."

A Billings Police Officer is continuing to receive treatment at a local hospital after being shot by a suspect on Saturday morning, March 18th. This is now the second Montana police officer in two weeks to have been shot in the line of duty.

"Suicide is the number 1 killer of law enforcement officers, divorce rates are between 60 and 80 percent, alcohol abuse is high, and retention of officers is low. Occupational and traumatic stress are principal factors driving these statistics."

Despite news reports, a spokesman with the Billings Police Department confirmed that the incident in a Billings emergency room involved a male who identifies as a woman.

48 people were wanted by the police. They already had arrest warrants. Local police were ready, willing, and able to risk their lives to arrest these people- but there was nowhere to send them. There's been nearly 1,400 instances since the start of the year when this exact scenario has taken place.