Sheriff, court clerk urge review of courthouse security after Helena officer-involved shooting

Sheriff Nick Rauser told the Broadwater County Board of Commissioners that his name appeared in news coverage because the county provided a deputy coroner to assist with an officer-involved death in Helena, a matter handled by the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Criminal Investigations. Rauser said the incident did not occur in Broadwater County and that Detective Michelle Frost served as the deputy coroner there.

During public comment that followed, Kelsey Anderson, the justice court clerk and the towns and city clerk, described the Helena incident: a woman entered the courthouse with a gun, was stopped by courthouse security before reaching judges and clerks, left the building and was later killed by responding officers after failing to comply. Anderson said she feared that a similar incident in Broadwater County would have a different, potentially worse outcome because the Broadwater courthouse has multiple uncontrolled entry points and lacks comparable screening.

Anderson said county staff have discussed security options for about a year and that Bill Malone and "Ken" are working on ideas. She warned that without improvements the county faces the possibility of lawsuits and urged action soon.

Why it matters: Public-safety officials and courthouse staff raised concerns about physical access and screening at county facilities following an out-of-county critical incident. The remarks were public comment; no formal action or motion to change courthouse security was recorded during the meeting.