Two-Day Standoff Over Pet Rats Ends Man Was Barricaded In Motel, Withstood Tear Gas, Water Cannon

Police grabbed Robert Dorton through a window of his barricaded motel room Tuesday night and ended his two-day standoff to prevent the confiscation of his pet rats.

He was taken to Deaconess Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation, Police Chief Dave Ward said.

Police guile worked where tear gas and a water cannon had failed.

“We had lights shining into the room, and we had a fiberoptic camera watching him,” Ward said. “We saw him moving inside the room, and some of our negotiators were able to kind of capitalize on that.

“They began a discussion with him and convinced him to come over to the window. That’s when they got hold of him and made sure he had no weapons and take him out of the room.”

No one was injured, Ward said.

The local animal shelter will take charge of the rats after police make sure the room is safe, the chief said. He did not know how many rats were in the room.

Police immediately ended the evacuation of the area that was imposed Monday afternoon after Dorton began shooting. Streets were reopened and the few residents of the downtown area were allowed to return to their homes.

Police fired tear gas into the motel on at least three times Tuesday, and Dorton responded with more gunshots, but did not emerge. Police had sprayed pepper spray into the room previously with no effect and decided he must have a gas mask.

Police Sgt. Joe Bryce said officers fired water into the apartment with a remote-controlled nozzle elevated on a firetruck ladder. Dorton did not emerge, but also did not fire any more shots.

Police settled down to wait.

“We’re kind of doing the freemen thing here,” Sgt. Ken Dove said. “We’re just kind of sitting and waiting.”

He said police negotiators tried through the night to establish contact with the man.

The man began shooting Monday afternoon as police and Fire Department workers with a chainsaw tried to break open his door. Animal-control officer Mary Locke said the man had refused to open his door for her on Friday, accused her of trespassing and then threatened to kill her.

Police returned with a search warrant on Monday.

Other tenants identified Dorton as an eight-year resident of the motel.

He has only one arm and often wears camouflage clothing while walking in downtown Billings. One tenant told authorities he had seen at least two rats the size of cats in the man’s room, as well as numerous cages.

On Friday, the man was seen kissing one of the rats and referred to the rodents as “my brothers,” Locke said.

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