Welfare Check in Missoula Leads to Drug Discovery and Arrest

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On February 25, 2025, at approximately 5:47 PM, a Missoula Police Department officer was dispatched to a welfare check in a parking lot. The officer approached the driver side window and observed a male in the driver seat, and a female in the passenger seat who was either asleep or passed out.  

The officer knocked on the window and the male, who was later identified as 38-year-old Canon Byers, immediately woke up. The officer asked Byers whether he needed any medical attention. Byers declined medical attention, so the officer began trying to check on the female.  

The female would periodically respond but was in and out of consciousness. The officer had Byers and the female step out of the vehicle. The officer had to instruct the female to exit the car multiple times. In plain view around the vehicle, the officer observed various items, including tinfoil with burnt residue and plastic straws. The officer, based on her training and experience, knows that tin foil and plastic straws can be used to ingest dangerous drugs.  

Another officer arrived on scene, and Byers was placed under arrest due to an outstanding warrant. The officer was informed that Byers and the female are both on probation. The on-call probation officer requested that the officer perform a search of the vehicle, as well as Byers and the female.  

While completing a search of Byers, the officer discovered methamphetamine inside his front shirt pocket. According to court documents, Byers later admitted that the substance was methamphetamine which had spilled into his pocket. 

During a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered the following items: 

• A roll of aluminum foil 
• Various pieces of tinfoil with burnt residue were found around the vehicle 
• Two Narcan 
• A package of hypodermic needles was found in the sunglass’s holder of the vehicle 
• A blue plastic tooter straw 
• An empty plastic baggie 
• A black zip-up container with hypodermic needles, cotton balls, saline rinse, spoons, alcohol swabs, and a green container with white residue, located inside a bag containing items with the female's name on them 
• Two cellphones 
• A baggie of suspected a crystal-like substance found inside a folded dollar bill, which was inside a cigarette box, found on the driver's front seat floorboard 

All of these items were seized and later logged into evidence at the Missoula Police Department. Byers and the female were both Mirandized and interviewed by another officer. Byers admitted to recently consuming methamphetamine with the female, and that he consumes the drug by injecting it intravenously. The female also admitted to recently consuming methamphetamine with Byers and informed the officer that Byers provided the methamphetamine.  

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

Byers was placed under arrest and was transported to the Missoula County Detention Center. He is currently being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the jail, his bond was set at $100. 

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