Escaped Felon Azuriah Stallcup Sentenced for Billings Drive-By Shooting

BILLINGS — The gritty streets of Billings were once again the scene of a high-stakes chase and violence when Azuriah Austin Stallcup, 20, an escaped felon, was nabbed after a drive-by shooting at a local residence. Today, justice caught up with Stallcup as he was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.

The defendant, who had previously been a wanted escapee from a Butte pre-release center, traveled to Billings on July 6, 2023, where he obtained a stolen .40-caliber firearm and opened fire into a house. The incident was caught on residential surveillance cameras, which later identified Stallcup and the vehicle involved.

When police tracked him down the next day, a fierce pursuit ensued as Stallcup rammed one of their cars before crashing into a civilian vehicle and fleeing on foot. A dramatic chase followed, ending with Stallcup tackled by the owner of the car he had struck. He was then arrested with the assistance of law enforcement agencies.

In court documents, it was alleged that Stallcup had been convicted of assault with a weapon in Montana District Court, making him prohibited from possessing firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, while the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Marshals Service.

The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters includes a supervised release term of three years. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program dedicated to reducing violent crime and gun violence across the nation.

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