Missoula Police Taser Man Armed With a Golf Pencil

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On February 19, 2026, a Missoula Police Department officer was dispatched to a residence on Mainview Drive. Witness, John Doe, reported that a 30-year-old white male with a gray goatee, pajama bottoms and a red jacket attempted to make entry into his residence. Doe realized that there was a male outside of his door trying the door handle and he could also hear keys being manipulated. 

Doe confronted the male and said he was acting erratically and possibly under the influence of drugs. Doe told the male that he needed to leave the area. Then the male attempted to get into Doe’s car. After making strange statements, the male entered his own vehicle and left the area so rapidly that he almost caused a collision with a car that was turning off of Hillview Way. 

Doe provide the male’s license plate number to officers. An officer quickly intercepted the male, later identified as 40-year-old Gavin McLaren, at his own residence on Hillview Way. The officer observed McLaren’s mother standing in the driveway. She attempted to speak to McLaren. The officer asked McLaren to exit the garage so that he could speak to him. McLaren began to stab at a nearby vehicle’s rear passenger tire with an unknown red object in his hand. 

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The officer drew his taser from its holster and activated it for ready use. The officer commanded McLaren to stop. The officer ordered McLaren to turn around and face him. When McLaren turned towards the officer, he appeared to be angry. The officer observed that McLaren still had the unidentified object in his hand.  

McLaren quickly advanced on the officer. He began to pump his arms more aggressively as he accelerated. Due to the speed at which McLaren turned towards him and accelerated, the officer felt compelled to discharge his taser. One of the taser probes struck McLaren in his abdomen and the second struck him in the quadricep. The conductive energy device caused McLaren to tense up and fall to the ground.  

The officer commanded McLaren to place his hands behind his back as he lay on his stomach. McLaren rolled over and pointed the object in his right hand at the officer. The officer quickly backed up to create a safe distance between himself and this offender. The officer warned McLaren that he would be tased again if he didn’t place his hands behind his back.  

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

McLaren began to pull the taser probes from his body and did not comply with the officer’s lawful commands. Other officers utilized physical force to gain control of McLaren’s arms and safely secure him in handcuffs. Officers later determined that the object in McLaren’s hands was a golf pencil. According to court documents, an officer reported that McLaren made statements on scene regarding his possible use of cocaine. 

McLaren was arrested and transported to jail. He is currently being charged with felony assault on a peace officer and obstructing a peace officer.  

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