James Dennis, 37, was sentenced in district court to 50 years, with 20 suspended, on seven felony charges related to a June 4, 2025 car theft, police pursuit and crash.
Judge Elizabeth Best sentenced Dennis during an Oct. 19 hearing.
In August, he pleaded guilty to seven counts after signing a plea agreement, in which he pleaded guilty to felony counts of theft, assault with a weapon, three counts of assault on a peace officer and two counts of criminal endangerment.
He’s been held in the Cascade County Adult Detention Center since June 5, 2025, on a $500,000 bond and received credit for 503 days of time served.
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During the sentencing hearing, Preston Rammell, a deputy county attorney prosecuting the case, said the state recommended a 15-year probation restriction, to which the defense objected and Best didn’t impose, saying the parole board was capable of determining whether Dennis was a risk to public safety whenever he was eligible.
Rammell said that Dennis was initially charged with 30 counts, which were a mix of misdemeanors and felonies, for an event that lasted 72 hours, posing a danger to law enforcement and civilians ranging from an 18-month-old baby to an elderly man.
Rammell said that shots were fired at various vehicles and one hit the radiator of a patrol vehicle and had it been a few inches higher, the bullet could have hit the deputy, Rammell said.
Dennis hit several vehicles throughout the incident and totaled one carrying a family.
Rammell said that some people woke up that morning to find their vehicle was missing; others almost died.
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Dennis’ actions had a “profound impact” on how the community felt about safety that day and created risk for multiple law enforcement agencies.
Rammell said the prosecution was seeking the parole restriction to protect community safety for at least 15 years.
Claire Lettow, Dennis’ defense attorney for sentencing, said she first met with Dennis two days after the incident and his first words to her were, “I thought I had survived the rapture and the world was ending.”
She said he thought he’d been shot in the head at the time.
Lettow said the man sitting in court on Oct. 19 was completely different.
At the time of the June 2025 incident, Lettow said Dennis was “profoundly affected” by untreated mental illness and was determined by an evaluator to have been suffering from psychosis at the time.
Lettow said he had attempted suicide a few years ago, his wife committed suicide, then he lost everything in a fire.
She asked the judge to consider a Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services commitment instead of prison.
During the hearing, Dennis said that he was “deeply saddened and full of remorse” for his actions in June 2025.
He said he’d lost his wife, then everything in a house fire and was experiencing extreme anxiety.
Dennis said that he was trying to tough it out rather than seeking professional help at the time and lost his grip on reality.
Best said the lawyers had developed a measured plea agreement and noted that Montana doesn’t have mental health resources.
Speaking to Dennis, she said she was sorry for what he went through, but she was concerned that he’d made the decision not to take his medication and that the Montana Probation and Parole evaluation deemed him a high risk to reoffend.
She said he stole vehicles, caused a high-speed chase and collisions, fired shots at law enforcement and civilians, endangering numerous citizens and told officers that he’d been attempting suicide by cop.
“I’m astounded. I am stunned that no one died,” Best said, but believed those involved were affected and may suffer from post-traumatic stress as a result of his actions.
Best said that in June 2025, Dennis was “taking your own private pain on everyone else.”
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In June 2025, Dennis was charged with four felony counts: theft, assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment and assault on a peace officer.
In September 2025, the prosecution filed amended charges with a total of 30 counts:
- four counts of felony theft
- one count of misdemeanor theft, first offense
- two felony counts of assault with a weapon
- nine felony counts of criminal endangerment
- five felony counts of assault on a peace officer
- one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while under the influence of Delta-9 THC
- one misdemeanor count of fleeing from or eluding a peace officer
- one misdemeanor count of driving while suspended or revoked
- one misdemeanor count of failure to obey a red/stop traffic signal, first offense
- one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest
- two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief
- one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass
- one felony count of criminal mischief
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According to charging documents, Dennis stole a black Jeep Wrangler from a NorthWestern Energy utility site at 5378 Highway 89 in Monarch. The car’s owner and his friends who work for NorthWestern called 911 to report the theft.
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The NorthWestern employees had been doing utility work on the highway near Monarch. The car owner’s friends were able to stop the Jeep and make contact with Dennis between mile marker 74 and 75 on Highway 89 when Dennis brandished a handgun, fired a round at one of the employees and drove off.
Reports of shots fired on Highway 89 came into 911 dispatch at 4:53 p.m. on June 4, 2025.
Dennis then continued westbound between Belt and Great Falls when a Cascade County sheriff’s deputy made contact, activated his lights and pursued the stolen vehicle, according to court documents.
Dennis continued at a high rate of speed toward Great Falls, brandishing the firearm at the deputy, according to charging documents.
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Dennis turned right onto 57th Street South and continued northbound, where Great Falls Police officers made contact with the vehicle and Dennis fired multiple shots in the direction of the officers’ vehicles, according to court documents.
Dennis turned left onto 2nd Avenue North and fired more rounds at police vehicles near the 4200 block, causing a flat tire on one police vehicle.
Continuing westbound on 2nd Avenue North, Dennis fired more shots at another responding GFPD officer and struck a blue Toyota RAV4 at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and 38th Street North, causing significant damage to both vehicles.
Dennis was ejected from the vehicle and taken into custody. He was transported to the hospital, according to multiple law enforcement sources. He was later booked into the county jail.
The two occupants of the RAV4 were okay, according to GFPD.
During his initial court appearance on June 5, 2025 before Judge Elizabeth Best, Dennis said he had road rash and was in a lot of pain, but could understand the judge.
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Jayde James, representing Dennis for his initial appearance, said Dennis had lived in Great Falls for a significant period of time, had family in the area, was able to be employed and was willing to complete a chemical dependency evaluation.
She said he had some mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
James said they were asking for any bond reduction the court was willing to grant since he was of limited financial means.
Best said she was maintaining bond at $500,000 due to the flight risk and community safety factors were “about as high as they can go,” since Dennis caused a police chase and fired a weapon during rush hour.
Stephanie Fuller, for the Cascade County Attorney’s Office, objected to a bond reduction, saying Dennis was a danger to the community.
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Fuller said he was a suspect in several reports of stolen vehicles in recent days and during the June 4, 2025 incident, victimized at least eight law enforcement members and multiple members of the community. She said Dennis continued to resist arrest after being ejected from the stolen vehicle after crashing into another vehicle.
Best amended her order to require Level 3 monitoring if Dennis posted bond. That requires weekly check-ins, GPS monitoring, a chemical dependency evaluation, weekly drug testing and a drug patch. She also ordered a mental health evaluation.
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The Cascade County Sheriff’s Office said on June 5, 2025 that it was asking for the public’s help in locating a white 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 with the license plate AYK735, which was related to the June 4 theft and pursuit.
On June 9, 2025 CCSO said it had located the truck.
During a June 10, 2025 press conference, Slaughter said that Dennis had allegedly stolen a black GMC truck and trailer without a license plate from Simms on June 2 or 3, leaving another vehicle at the scene.
On June 3, he was alleged to have pointed a handgun at a landowner near Ulm, driving off without the trailer, which CCSO later located, but it hadn’t yet been reported as stolen.
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Later that day, deputies contacted Dennis walking around Old Airport Road with a knife and a black dog but didn’t have complaints on him yet, so they didn’t have a reason to detain him, Slaughter said.
Around 6 a.m. June 4, a report came in about a suspicious male in Cascade with a 2001 Chevy Silverado and another vehicle was reported stolen from a ranch in Cascade.
About an hour and a half later, the owner of the black GMC reported it stolen and that’s when law enforcement realized Dennis was likely the suspect in the string of reports.
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Slaughter said CCSO contacted GFPD to go to Dennis’ last known location in the city and deputies searched areas he’d been spotted in the county.
Dennis’ roommate reported that Dennis has likely stolen his vehicle.
One of the stolen vehicles was spotted in White Sulfur Springs, where Dennis allegedly entered a residence and fled the scene when he was interrupted by the homeowner.
Dennis brandished a weapon at a CCSO deputy who returned fire and fired multiple rounds at GFPD officers.
Capt. Doug Mahlum of GFPD said during the June 10, 2025 press conference that it was an “extremely volatile and quickly evolving” situation.
GFPD responded to the edge of the city to assist and a patrol sergeant exchanged fire with Dennis, Mahlum said.
All of the officers involved were on administrative leave as agencies investigated the incident, but all returned to duty.
Asked about policies and protocols regarding returning fire on and from moving vehicles, Slaughter said, “Our job is to stop the threat that’s endangering the public when left with no other alternative.”
