GREAT FALLS — Police officers in Billings were contacted on Monday, May 18, 2026, by a concerned resident regarding what was described as a "suspicious" man across from a school who was wearing a face covering and armed with a large fixed-blade hunting knife. The caller was unsure if anyone was in danger and requested a police response.
The Billings Police Department said in a news release that officers responded and contacted the man. During the contact, the man made no verbal statements but communicated by shaking his head.
Officers ultimately asked if he needed anything, to which he responded with a thumbs-up gesture. He then then pointed to a sign on his property that stated, “Our Rights Matter.”
At that point, officers determined no crime had been committed and cleared the scene.
The BPD emphasized that officers responded to this call solely at the request of a concerned citizen.
Some residents in the area reportedly were concerned because the man that police contacted - identified as Gabriel Cowan Metcalf - was sentenced in 2024 to three years probation in connection with "armed patrols" he conducted in on his property in front of nearby Broadwater school.
His actions forced the school to move children away from the playground area nearest the home, even though Metcalf said he meant the school no harm and was merely trying to protect his property.
Metcalf pleaded guilty to one charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone.
His federal gun conviction was overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in September 2025 after judges ruled prosecutors failed to prove he knowingly violated federal law.
(MARCH 2024) Gabriel Cowan Metcalf of Billings, accused of brandishing a gun on the sidewalk in front of his residence across from Broadwater Elementary School last summer, pleaded guilty on Monday to one federal firearms charge, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
Metcalf, 49 years old, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone and faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $100,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
According to charging documents, Metcalf carried a 20-gauge shotgun on the sidewalk across the school, which is public property, several times from August 2, 2023 through August 17, 2023.
He was seen pacing with the weapon in front of his home on the 400 block of Broadwater Avenue, walking onto the property of a nearby business with the gun and holding the gun while staring at the school across the street, according to prosecutors.
On August 17, law enforcement spoke to Metcalf, who admitted to carrying the gun and said he was patrolling the neighborhood, according to prosecutors.
He told MTN News on August 22 that he was carrying the weapon for self-defense following a dispute with a neighbor, and he meant no harm toward anyone at Broadwater Elementary.
"I'm not here to intimidate or frighten," he said at the time.
Nevertheless, students at Broadwater were moved out of the playground area facing Metcalf's home during recess at the start of the school year as a precaution.
Billings police said they had received numerous complaints about Metcalf but did not arrest him because police said he had violated no state gun laws.
On August 23, Metcalf was arrested by federal agents and charged with a federal gun crime.
Sentencing is set for August 2 by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters. Metcalf’s release on conditions was continued pending further proceedings, according to Laslovich.
