Neighbors recount deadly standoff in Kila

Dozens of bullet holes riddle the home near Kila where a man was shot and killed by law enforcement officers during a standoff May 24, according to neighbors who witnessed the incident.

Residents on Rogers Lake Road described the victim, 52-year-old Anthony D. Grove, as “a really good person,” and they’re left wondering why the situation escalated to a fatal shootout.

“I’m just really sad that it happened,” said neighbor Jessica Thompson, who knew Grove for about eight years. “He would give you his shirt off his back, and that’s honestly true. I’m still baffled at what happened.”

According to Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino, the incident began that Sunday evening around 7 p.m., when Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Grove’s home between Kila and Marion for a report of a disturbance with a weapon.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they met Grove at the end of the driveway to his home, Heino said. He said Grove was armed with a high-powered rifle and confrontational, but went back to his house.

“When he returned to the house, he fired more shots,” Heino said.

Officers then launched a drone to inspect the situation from afar and Grove reportedly shot at the drone.

“That’s when the SWAT team was called and the negotiator came in,” Heino said.

Heino said there was some communication between the negotiator and Grove before Grove came out of the house, shot at officers and they returned fire with their standard-issue .223 caliber rifles. Heino said Grove died at the scene.

SWAT team members who fired at Grove are on administrative leave while the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigates the shooting. They include Logan Shawback and Travis Smith, both sergeants with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, and Jordan Venezio, a sergeant with the Kalispell Police Department.

Thompson, who lives about a quarter mile from Grove’s house, said she went to the scene to help clean up after the incident and counted more than 50 bullet holes around the front entry of the house.

“We have found numerous slugs in the house,” she said. “The whole front of the house is destroyed.”

Another neighbor, Jeremiah Wright, said he could see and hear the law enforcement response from his property on the other side of the road from Grove’s house.

“My wife was out tending to the chickens and she heard a drone,” Wright recalled.

Wright said his neighbor later called to report that shots were fired at Grove’s house.

“I went outside at that point and there were several police vehicles lined up,” Wright said, estimating between 10 to 20 law enforcement vehicles had arrived on the scene.

Neighbor Kathy Shopa could hear officers communicating with Grove with a megaphone.

“I could hear Tony; he was very upset,” Shopa said. He was saying, “Get off my property.”

Shopa said she also heard the SWAT team respond and try to calm him.

Wright said at about 8:30 p.m., he could see officers gearing up to “flank the house.”

Sometime later he heard a shot fired from what sounded like a light-caliber weapon, followed by several assault rifles going off at the same time for about three seconds.

“I know when there are that many shots fired, I knew he was dead,” Wright said.

About 15 minutes later he heard a loud flash-bang go off.

Wright described Grove as a “kind person” who would go out of his way to help people.

“I don’t know the full circumstances, but I can honestly say I don’t think Tony would try and shoot someone,” he said. “He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Thompson questions if more could have been done to prevent the shootout, or if such a large law enforcement response was necessary.

“I don’t condone Tony for firing [his weapon],” she said. “That’s not OK. But I also think he was pushed into a corner.”

“That was not him at all,” she added. “He totally respected the sheriff’s community.”

“The Tony I knew was always the peacemaker.”

Grove’s wife Dawn Grove disputes information provided by the Sheriff’s Office about the initial 911 call.

Sheriff Heino told the Inter Lake the initial call was regarding a man who had a gun pointed at a woman.

“According to their daughter, he was pointing a gun at his wife,” Heino said.

Dawn Grove said her husband had a weapon in his hand, but there was “never a weapon pointed at me. I was never fired at, never fired upon.”

She said she is speaking with a civil attorney in consideration of filing a lawsuit against the county.

Heino said he isn’t sure when investigations by Missoula and Lake county authorities will be finished. He said Flathead County Sheriff’s Office will do an internal investigation and there will be a coroner’s inquest by the Flathead County Attorney’s Office when the initial investigation is complete.

“Right now we’re all concerned for the individuals who work here and the family members, but we just have to wait for the investigation before anything else can be said,” Heino said.

Daily Inter Lake reporter Scott Shindledecker contributed to this report.