HELENA — The trail has gone cold more than a month after a former militia leader disappeared into western Montana woods after a shootout with police, though authorities vow to nab David Burgert if and when he eventually resurfaces.
Missoula County authorities said they are no longer actively pursuing Burgert, 47, who led deputies on a low-speed chase June 12 near Lolo, then shot at them before running into the woods.
AP Photo/Missoulian, Kurt Wilson
A Missoula County Sheriff's Department SWAT team drives on U.S. Highway 12 near Lolo on June 15, after officers responded to a tip about about person living in a remote cabin in the area that they suspected might be fugitive David Burgert.
Officers are now hoping a tip or a lead comes in that will help them pinpoint Burgert's location, Undersheriff Michael Dominick said.
There is nothing to indicate Burgert is still in the area of the Lolo National Forest, although residents are well-versed in keeping an eye out for him, Dominick said Wednesday.
"He's going to surface somewhere," Dominick said. "We're not going to forget about this."
Authorities called off the search more than two weeks ago after dozens of officers and cadaver-sniffing dogs spent two luckless weeks fanned out across in the woods near the Idaho border.
Burgert has survivalist training and authorities believe he has relied on secret stashes of food, weapons and even vehicles to stay hidden.
"He's been out in the woods for a number of months in the past without being noticed before," Dominick said.
Burgert, a former Marine diagnosed with a paranoid personality disorder, once led a northwestern Montana anti-government militia called Project 7. He was convicted in 2003 of illegally possessing a machine gun and spent eight years in federal prison before being released in March 2010.
Prior to the shootout, Burgert reportedly had been living in his vehicle at picnic sites and campgrounds along U.S. Highway 12. That's where the chase began, after deputies went to check on a vehicle that was reported parked for some time at a picnic spot.
Burgert eventually stopped on a logging road and shot at the deputies, who returned fire before he grabbed gear from his Jeep and ran into the woods. No one was hurt.
Even though the leads have dried up, Dominick said he is confident they will eventually catch up to Burgert. Dominick compared this case to the pursuit of a suspect who shot a Missoula County officer in the 1990s. It took three years, but authorities eventually apprehended the suspect.
"We do have a long memory," Dominick said.
Burgert "RETURNED FIRE"??? Is that to suggest that he WAS SHOT AT FIRST??? Hmmmm...doesn't jive with the now 8 versions of the story we've heard. Tell you what, if someone shot at ME out of the blue, I believe I'd likely do what I had to to protect my life also. NO ONE WANTS to DIE...and we are only hearing ONE side of this story. MOST of the issues in this case could simply be destroyed by simply releasing the police car's camera footage and audio to show who shot first. I notice that has not come into play just yet, which is puzzling.
There is a CLEAR and DEFINED HISTORY with this man and those pursuing him, and we are only hearing from "them" at the moment. I see all the PC catch words to paint Bburgert out to be a demon of sorts, but I've seen no dashcam footage as of yet, and the "official story" stinks, frankly. Too many inconsistencies. Let's illustrate some of them for the naysayers...
Here's but one inaccuracy of many: This man was NOT a "former Marine". He never graduated USMC basic training. He washed out in First Phase from what I hear, which means he never received formal Marine Corps marksmanship training. He was in the "PC", or Physical Conditioning, phase where the USMC prepares the recruit for the remainder of becoming a Marine. They also assess the recruit for his mental status, his ability to follow orders and whether he works well in a team environment. Weeding out the non-hackers, to coin the phrase. Rifle training doesn't begin until what's called "Snap-In" Phase...which comes AFTER the point where Burgert was 86'd from the Corps. Semper Fi', go Marines!.
Yet ANOTHER inaccuracy: "Burgert is a highly trained survivalist." EPIC FAIL, LIES and OVERWHELMINGLY WRONG YET AGAIN. A "highly trained survivalist" would have NO NEED for food caches or vehicles in the bush, as the Montana wilderness offers a plethora of edibles and wildlife, if the person knows what to look for. An AMATEUR "survivalist" would need all of that additional logistical support. Secondly, recon ambushes by "highly trained" LEOs could nab him when he came looking for his juice boxes, crackers and cheese. Survivalist my backside, more like there's FAR MORE to the "classified details" of this hogwash story than we peasants out here are mentally capable of understanding. No professional would so carelessly leave his assets so easily locatable, nor would he likely return to them when in and E&E, or Escape and Evasion, mode. It's dog fodder to throw off search teams. Standard counter-tracking technique...IF it was left behind by Burgert at all. After all...we all know that all Montanans are all right wing extremist lunatics hell bent on violene. Which is why we've had NONE. POINT OF TECHNICALITY: Who were the ones that gunned down Vicky Weaver while she held a BABY (not a gun) or the people at Waco as they were incinerated while under constant gunfire? That's a story for another day. Sniper Lon Horiuchi, present at BOTH events...'nuff said?
Yet ANOTHER inaccuracy: "Burgert has a handgun and [possibly a rifle]." Under what physical evidence is there potential for a rifle? Would you not SEE someone carrying a long gun? Would not A FORMER MARINE resort to his PRIMARY and MOST LETHAL WEAPON FIRST??? Think of how long it would take to muster guns and gear from your truck while being SHOT AT IN A CROSSFIRE by TWO sheriff's deputies (one of which was an FTO, or Field Training Officer - someone tasked with educating new officers on how to become more professional in the field.) NO ONE BUT NO ONE functions with that level of calm and fluidity under fire - NO ONE. Instinct and FEAR takes over when you realize your mortality is in question. Heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, tunnel vision, shaky limbs, impaired decision making ability, accuracy of shot placement and all sorts of other physically limiting factors come IMMEDIATELY into play when your chromosomal "fight or flight" response is triggered. This is simple tactical medicine, is proven fact and is therefore incontrovertible.
65 AGENTS, including a 15 man FBI HRT team from Salt Lake City came out to hunt this guy fully dressed for URBAN BATTLE, complete with Bearcat armored vehicles - which are essentially totally USELESS in this type of scenario, btw. Any skilled hunter or tracker knows that this presents an UNWINNABLE scenario as all these operators bring in tons of smells and stimuli, including that of ADRENALINE while they are "on the hunt" which adversely affects a dog's capacity to track. Vehicle exhaust, fuel vapor, noises, the sheer excitement of the issue at hand and thousands of other anxiety inducing stressors are just as impeding to the search dogs as to the people, if not moreso. Their over-presence in the operational environment destroys any detectable sign or trace of the person being hunted to the point of making it pointless to try. In simpler terms, it becomes pure chaos. It's no wonder the "trail went dead" so soon...there were FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE ON IT.
These operators, while good intentioned I'm sure, came prepared for the wrong kind of fight. This displays not only a lack of education or tactical scenario brief on the part of these responders, but also something more distressing in that their first response was not to DEFUSE the situation, but rather to ESCALATE it by "bringing in the cavalry". How would YOU react when a small army comes dressed with the intent of "hunting" YOU? You'd be scared to death, and most assuredly not acting like a "highly trained survivalist".
I daresay that IF Burgert's intentions were to harm the innocent bystanders as has been presented by the story details, that he likely would have SHOT AT the group outside the Lumber Jack place in passing them rather than to smile and wave at them.
Folks, something just doesn't jive here. Is Burgert an idiot? IF he did what he's accused of, YES...without doubt. HOWEVER, the man is ENTITLED to DUE PROCESS OF LAW, which up until this point didn't seem to include a judge or jury. "Hunters" don't very often offer their target a trial. This kind of response is becoming more and more commonplace in this new "hope and change" America that we are seeing. And it isn't good. Tasers have replaced negotiation skilles and diplomacy. Firearms have replaced common sense policing. It's straight to the gun now. Instead of "innocent until proven guilty", we are seeing a startling treand of Judge Dredd law enforcement tactics. Look up Jose Guerena in Phoenix, Az. Former Marine gunned down by a SWAT team under VERY peculiar circumstances that have yet to be clarified.
This will not stop until we have our elected officials investigate these kinds of responses and remember that although their jobs are dangerous and so forth...we are under NO OBLIGATION to simply be cut down in hails of gunfire over issues that COULD have been handled with much more common sense approaches. People wonder why no one trusts police anymore? One cop doesn't represent the whole industry?
WHO WANTS TO ROLL THE DICE WHEN A COFFIN COULD BE YOUR REWARD??? Who want to try those odds?
Folks, I have PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE of a man who saved a Sheriff's Deputy at a traffic stop where the suspect came out of his car with a hunting rifle aimed at him, the CITIZEN ran up on the suspect with his LEGAL AR15 and forced his surrender. The deputy's life was saved. The citizen was told: "Thank you. Now, this NEVER HAPPENED. Get back in your car and get out of here, NOW." This is a TRUE STORY. Rather than a commendation for his brave heroism in saving that cop's life...he was told to disappear. Yet still, American gun owners are under fire for things they have not done.
The "Gun Runner" scandal...yeah...those weapons found in Mexico were sold by the US GOV'T to MEXICO'S ARMY in a LEGAL international arms deal. The mexican soldiers STOLE their weapons and went rogue to work for the cartel. Your Prez-izzle doesn't want you to know that. Ask your Congressman.
Our country is being dismantled by a fearful gov't that now realizes that We, The People are WAKING UP and seeing now firsthand the level of deception, corruption and lies that have made us the most hated nation in the world. It's time to ask not only ourselves, but also our government: WHY????
Stay informed and inform others as to the TRUTH of these things...BEFORE it's too late.