Montana Highway Patrol, Montana
End of Watch: Saturday, April 8, 1978
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 8 years
Badge Number: 240
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 8, 1978
Weapon Used: Rifle; .308 caliber
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Patrolman Michael Ren was shot and killed after being called to assist a Lincoln County Sheriff's Office deputy serving two felony warrants on a recently released mental patient.
The subject was wanted for violating the terms of his release from a state mental health facility. Patrolman Ren spotted the subject driving a pickup truck, and a high-speed chase ensued.
During the chase, the subject retrieved a .308 rifle from inside the cab of his pickup and opened fire on both officers. Five rounds struck Patrolman Ren's patrol car before the subject crashed in the town of Eureka. As Patrolman Ren pulled up, the subject jumped from his truck and shot Ren in the abdomen with the .308; the round traveled between the back panels of his Kevlar vest.
The suspect ran to a nearby residence and took the household hostage. Officers from the sheriff's department, Highway Patrol, and U.S. Border Patrol surrounded the place. After six hours, the suspect released his hostages but remained barricaded inside the house. Three canisters of tear gas were fired into the home, and the suspect surrendered.
The suspect was charged with the murder of a police officer and was committed to a mental institution. He was later released and committed suicide.
Patrolman Ren was a United States Air Force veteran who served with the Montana Highway Patrol for six years assigned to District VI and previously served as a police officer in Columbia Falls, Montana, for two years. He was survived by his wife, a 5-year-old son, and his parents. In 2000 Patrolman Ren's son joined the Montana Highway Patrol.