James Summers Bennett Obituary – The man who was fatally shot by a police officer in Billings earlier this week has been identified as James Summers Bennett. According to Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner Valerie Juhl, Bennett died from multiple gunshot wounds. The 45-year-old was involved in a brief standoff with police officers in downtown Billings on Tuesday afternoon, which led to one of the officers opening fire.
At the time of his death, Bennett had an address in Crow Agency but was known to frequent Billings. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, he had been staying in a trailer home in Hardin. Ivan Rock Sr., Bennett’s nephew, mentioned that his uncle was battling cancer and felt that everything was turning against him.
On Tuesday at around 1 p.m., the Billings Police Department responded to a report of Bennett waving a machete outside the First Interstate Bank building at the intersection of North 31st Street and Fourth Avenue North. BPD Chief Rich St. John stated during a press conference that Bennett was also yelling at people in the street. Seven officers arrived at the scene and spent the next seven minutes attempting to de-escalate the situation.
When Bennett tried to leave, a BPD officer used a Taser, causing him to fall to the ground. However, while officers were trying to restrain him, Bennett reached for the machete, prompting Officer Zach Wallis to fire five rounds from his police rifle. Bennett was hit in the torso and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Ivan Rock recalled that the last time he saw his uncle, Bennett seemed normal. It was Rock’s birthday on April 20, and Bennett had promised to bake him a cake with his wife. However, before Rock could have his cake, the children living with Bennett had already eaten it. Rock mentioned that Bennett, a Native American man from Lodge Grass, had a habit of checking in on his friends.
