Missoula Property Owner Calls Police on Illegal Campers

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - At approximately 1:15 p.m. on September 29, 2025, a Missoula Police Department Officer was dispatched to a request for people to be removed from the 1600 block of S 4th St W. When the officer arrived, she briefly spoke with the 911 caller, who stated there were people camping on his private property across the ditch. After talking with the caller, the officer drove to the alleyway on the northside of the ditch and walked up the embankment to where the people were camped. 

When the officer walked up, she observed a male and a female on a couch, surrounded by property. The male was fully asleep, and the woman was sitting up, but slumped over and rocking back and forth, which is common to see when someone has just used a dangerous drug. 

The two did not appear to notice that the officer was there, and the officer observed numerous items of drug paraphernalia around them. The officer observed tinfoil, balloons, and  a “tooter straw.” In the male’s hand, the officer could see a piece of folded tinfoil. Next to his hand, in between both of them, there was also an open pocketknife and numerous other knives/sharp objects around them. 

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The Officer Woke Them Both Up 

Then the officer announced herself and woke both of them up. The officer told them, “Don’t touch anything,” and the male immediately reached over to where the pocketknife and drug paraphernalia were. The officer told the male, whom the officer then recognized as 53-year-old David Chase, nearly ten times to show the officer his hands and to stop grabbing the objects next to him.  

Then the officer saw David grab something, or multiple somethings, and one appeared to be the tinfoil. David placed these items in his front sweatshirt pocket, stood up, and began running away. The officer yelled at David to stop multiple times, but he did not. The officer called out David’s description and direction of travel to other officers, and David was found and arrested soon after.  

The officer went back to the campsite and collected the numerous items of drug paraphernalia that were lying around. The officer then began walking the path that David ran. About 20ft away from the campsite, the officer found a piece of tinfoil lying right next to the trail. The tinfoil did not have any dirt on it and was lying on top of the leaves, making it appear like it had just been left there. When the officer picked it up, she saw that it was folded and contained Fentanyl. 

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

David was arrested and transported to the Missoula County Detention Center. He is currently being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs, felony tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, obstructing a peace officer, and criminal trespass to property.  

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.