Jacob Bradley was sentenced in district court Sept. 6 to 80 years in Montana State Prison with 20 suspended.

Bradley was charged in connection with a March 7, 2023 chase after Great Falls Police officers attempted a traffic stop of a car from Billings, but the car fled.

He was sentenced in accordance with a plea agreement, according to Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki.

Bradley, 37 at the time, was driving and ran after stopping the vehicle and an officer pursued on foot, according to GFPD.

Snell pleads guilty to changes from March 7 pursuit, shooting

Officers did not pursue but looked in the area for the vehicle and its occupants. Officers found the car and saw a man, later identified as the driver, Bradley, and Nikki Snell, the passenger, walking away from it.

Snell stopped and complied with the officers, while Bradley ran away while carrying a brown purse, according to court documents.

Senior Police Officer Tanner Lee chased Bradley, who shot and wounded Lee, according to GFPD and court documents.

Officers on the scene performed tactical medical procedures and transported Lee to the hospital in a patrol car, according to GFPD.

Snell appears in federal court in connection with March 7 pursuit, shooting

Lee underwent surgery and has since returned to work at GFPD. He was on light duty and retired from the department in August.

During the pursuit and shooting, Bradley dropped the purse, which officers recovered and found a 9mm semi-automatic handgun inside, according to court documents.

Bradley allegedly fled the area and was confronted by another GFPD officer within a block, where several shots were fired and Bradley was shot in the head and his injuries were critical, according to GFPD. He was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

GFPD releases name of officer shot in March 7 incident

In June 2023, Bradley was charged with a felony count of attempted deliberate homicide in relation to the March 7 car chase and shooting in Great Falls.

County Attorney Josh Racki said in June 2023 that Bradley had improved but wasn’t 100 percent and was being held in the medical cells at the jail. His medical care has been paid by taxpayers, Racki said.

As of Oct. 20, 2023 Bradley was being held in the booking area for observation, Racki said.

Over the summer, Bradley pleaded guilty, according to court documents.

Nikki Snell was sentenced in federal court Oct. 19 to six years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for her role in a March 2023 police pursuit and shooting in Great Falls. She was the passenger during the initial traffic stop and car chase.

Snell, 38, of Harlem, pleaded guilty in May 2023 to possession with intent to distribute meth and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

GFPD releases some details about March 7 shooting incident

In court documents, the government argues that in July 2022, the Russell Country Drug Task Force in Great Falls learned that Snell was trafficking meth in the community and either supplied other distributors or distributed it herself. In August 2022, agents twice obtained meth from Snell through another individual, according to court documents.

The handgun recovered from the purse during the incident was a different firearm from the one used in the shooting. Snell admitted that the recovered purse was hers and that she knew it contained the handgun, according to court documents.

Snell has a prior federal felony conviction for assault and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Updated: GFPD responding to “serious incident,” officer, suspect shot

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted Snell’s case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and make neighborhoods safer.

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.