POLICE SHOOTING

Dashboard video from a January traffic stop in Hamilton that ended in gunfire. A coroner’s jury ruled Tuesday that Hamilton Police Officer Ross Jessop was justified in shooting Raymond Thane Davis. Davis was shot followi...

Dashboard video from a January traffic stop in Hamilton that ended in gunfire. A coroner’s jury ruled Tuesday that Hamilton Police Officer Ross Jessop was justified in shooting Raymond Thane Davis. Davis was shot following what began as a routine traffic stop just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 2nd in the 100 block of Fairground Road. Jessop approached Davis’ vehicle and was talking to the man when Davis pulled a gun and fired at the officer, the release said. Jessop returned fire and hit Davis. Davis sped away east on Fairgrounds Road, where his vehicle collided with a utility box and a Ravalli County Road Shop building. Davis was pronounced dead at the scene. MISSOULA — Authorities have released the name of a Hamilton man who was killed in a weekend shootout with a police officer. Raymond Thane Davis, 36, died as a result of a single gunshot wound, said Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman, who served as coroner in the case. According to a statement from Hamilton Police Chief Ryan Oster, Davis fired a gun at the officer during a routine traffic stop early Saturday morning. Davis is a registered violent offender with a criminal history going back 10 years, including a felony conviction for assault on a police officer. Shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, Hamilton police responded to a report of criminal mischief involving Davis, according to Oster’s statement. Two officers spoke with Davis and determined there were no grounds for a citation. The officers said Davis appeared to be intoxicated and told him not to drive. Less than an hour later, Hamilton police officer Ross Jessop stopped Davis for a traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 93 and Adirondack Street. Jessop got out of his car, approached Davis’ vehicle, and began talking with Davis. “Davis pulled a gun and fired at the officer, Officer Jessop returned fire and hit Davis,” Oster said. Davis then sped east in his vehicle on Fairgrounds Road and hit a utility box and a building at the Ravalli County Road Shop. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Missoula Police Department is conducting the investigation into the incident, as per department policy. “As part of standard operating procedure, Officer Jessop has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the statement continues. Jessop has been employed by the Hamilton Police Department for 13 months, Oster said, and completed training at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy.