Man on a Stolen Bike Gets Caught With Two Bags of Meth

At around 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Missoula Police Officers observed a bicycle that did not have a rear light equipped travelling on Mary Avenue. The officers conducted a traffic stop of the bicycle at the intersection of Clark Street and Harve Avenue. Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh explains.

“The male provided identification, but did not have an actual ID on him,” Welsh said. “The officers figured out very quickly that he had provided them with a fictitious name. When he was confronted, the male attempted to flee on foot. The officer caught up to the male and tackled him to the ground. He fought against the officers and resisted their attempts to place him into handcuffs. However, they were eventually able to get him into custody.”

An officer began to search the male and located an object that was inside his front left pocket. The officer attempted to retrieve the item and was stuck with what he determined was a dirty needle. The other officer took over the search and located the syringe together with two baggies of methamphetamine.

“At that point, the male was identified as 39-year-old Benjamin King,” Welsh said. “They were able to determine that the bicycle he was riding had previously been reported stolen and that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was taken to the Missoula County Detention Center.”

Another officer responded to the scene and removed several pieces of duct tape that were covering the serial number of the bicycle. He ran the serial through dispatch and discovered the bicycle was reported stolen. King’s criminal history report reflects 25 prior misdemeanor convictions, including four theft convictions in Montana.

King was charged with felony escape, felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs, obstructing a peace officer, theft, and resisting arrest.