Man dies after armed standoff with police at Montana sports store (VIDEO)

A man who drove his car into a sports store in Montana before barricading himself inside has died, following a gun battle with police.

Officers told the media that shortly after entering the building, the intruder gained access to weapons and exchanged fire with police.

Police Chief Rich St. John told the Billings Gazette that it was not an active shooter situation. He confirmed a male suspect had barricaded himself inside the sports center after driving his vehicle through the front door of the premises at around 3am local time. The store was closed at the time of the incident.

Police said the suspect had access to a “significant amount of weapons,” and the public were being warned to stay away from the area.

The suspect was allegedly trying to steal firearms from the store. Once inside, he apparently accessed the store’s weapons and fired shots. At one point there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and police officers.

Rich said none of the officers were hurt but could not confirm if the suspect was hit. An armored police vehicle was struck during the shooting.

Earlier, the suspect entered a Walmart in the area but was chased off by employees, St. John said. Local media are now reporting that the standoff is over. Police are working with the store to confirm the man’s identity.