Missoula Man Arrested for His 7th DUI at Walmart

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On July 13, 2026, at approximately 9:45 p.m., a Missoula Police Department officer responded to Walmart at 4000 Highway 93 for a person to be removed. The reporting party, an employee of Walmart, told dispatch they believed two individuals inside a vehicle were intoxicated and requested that they be removed from the property.  

Upon arrival, the officer located the suspect vehicle, a Mazda truck, and observed two male occupants. The officer observed the male in the driver's seat to have extremely watery eyes and a confused look on his face. The male was also elderly. Due to this, the officer was concerned the male was having a medical episode, so he asked the male if he could open the door. Both males acknowledged and allowed him to open the vehicle door.  

When the officer opened the vehicle door, he was instantly hit by a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle, and he observed numerous open containers of alcohol within the vehicle, including Black Velvet Whiskey and various cooking wines. As the officer began speaking with the males, he could smell an odor of alcohol emitting from the male seated in the driver’s seat. This male was also slurring his speech. 

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The officer then observed lights on the dash of the vehicle and that the keys were in the ignition. The officer requested the male provide his driver’s license. The officer identified the male in the driver’s seat as 71-year-old Stephen Heyer. Based on his observations, the officer requested that another officer respond to conduct a DUI investigation. 

The other officer spoke with the passenger, Heyer’s son, who stated he and his father live in the vehicle and both had been drinking for approximately eight hours. Heyer Jr. stated his father drivers and they had gone to the liquor store to buy alcohol twice that day. Heyer Jr. stated that the second time they had driven, they had both been drinking. Heyer Jr. added that they had been parked in their current location for over an hour.  

Then the officer spoke with Heyer and observed that Heyer had slurred speech, watery and bloodshot eyes, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Heyer’s breath. When requested, Heyer refused to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and refused to provide a preliminary breath test. Based on his observations and the circumstances, the officer advised Heyer that he was under arrest for driving under the influence.  

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Report

Then the officer read Heyer the Implied Consent Advisory, and Heyer agreed to provide a blood sample. Heyer was loaded into an ambulance for medical clearance at St. Patrick Hospital and for a sample of his blood. While en route to the hospital, Heyer withdrew his consent for a blood test. 

Then the officer applied for and received a warrant for Heyer’s blood. Once at the hospital, a medical technician obtained samples of Heyer’s blood, which the officer secured and submitted to the Montana State Crime Lab for testing. The toxicology results remain pending. 

Heyer was arrested and transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility. According to court documents, Heyer has six previous DUI convictions in the State of Montana, including four felony DUI convictions. He is currently being charged with felony DUI, and his bond was set at 25,000. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.