Woman Arrested After a Terrifying Encounter on a Missoula Street

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On March 21, 2024, a male contacted 911 to report a female driver bearing a firearm on Russell Street. A Missoula Police Department officer responded and spoke with the male who reported he had been sitting with his girlfriend in her vehicle on the shoulder of Railroad Street, which was parked behind a white van. The male’s friend, R.H., was coming over to collect a fly fishing rod from him and parked his Jeep in front of the white van on the shoulder.  

The male reported he exited his girlfriend’s vehicle to go talk to R.H. His girlfriend remained in her vehicle and was cleaning it. R.H. noticed that there was someone in the driver’s seat of the white van and noticed a female with long black hair.  

The male reported the female rolled her window down and threw out a liquid substance. The female then started her vehicle and slowly pulled up next to R.H.’s Jeep and began continuously honking her horn. The male reported the female then raised her arm and began making “finger guns” at them before quickly speeding off. 

The White Van Returns 

The male stated he felt uneasy and felt like the female was going to come back so he went inside his apartment to retrieve his firearm. While inside, he heard R.H. scream that she was coming back. The male then saw the female in the van accelerating towards R.H. and then heard R.H. call out that she had a gun.  

The male stepped out onto his porch and saw the female pointing what appeared to be a black handgun directly at R.H. and was driving very slowly. R.H. then ran to the other side of his Jeep and yelled for the male’s girlfriend to hide as well. The male then reported the female drove away and he called 911. 

The officer then spoke with a witness who lives in the apartment next to the male. He said he looked out his window after he heard yelling and saw a white minivan drive towards a Jeep. He could not tell what was in the driver’s hand but observed they were holding onto something. The witnesses provided law enforcement with a description of the female and her vehicle. 

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

Officers Locate the Suspect's Vehicle 

Another officer located the suspect vehicle on Russell Street and initiated a traffic stop. The female driver, later identified as 57-year-old Heather Knight, was the sole occupant. According to court documents, she did not comply with the officer’s commands and repeatedly returned her hands inside the vehicle.  

Knight was placed into handcuffs and provided consent for officers to search her vehicle. Their search yielded a zip-up style handbag with a three-digit combination lock on it. An officer believed the bag could possibly contain a firearm based on feeling what seemed to be a pistol grip within the bag. 

Knight provided a numerical combination for the lock to the officers, but it was incorrect. Knight then stated she did not want law enforcement to look in the locked bag, so it was seized pending application for a search warrant.  

R.H. positively identified Knight’s vehicle as the same vehicle involved in the incident. The search warrants for Knight’s bags are pending. Knight is currently being charged with felony assault with a weapon.  

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.