On a summer evening in Missoula, Montana, the life of 20-year-old Blake Hettick, a White male, was cut tragically short. On August 18, 2016, Hettick was at a residence on Kensington Street when he sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen. The incident was initially reported as an accidental shooting. The Missoula Police Department and the Missoula County Coroner's office launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the young man's death.
Blake Hettick, born in
Missoula on December 9, 1995, was a graduate of Hellgate High School's class of 2014. Remembered as a loving and kind-hearted individual, he had a passion for the outdoors, often going on mountain cruises, mudding, and hunting with his friends. He also had a keen interest in working with reptiles and spiders and spent time restoring his car. Friends and family recalled his constant smile and his willingness to always support those he cared about.
As the investigation into the shooting progressed, what was once deemed a tragic accident began to be viewed in a different light by the authorities. The Missoula County Attorney's Office eventually filed charges in connection with Hettick's death. The individual charged was identified as Brock Dodson, who was present at the time of the shooting.
In a turn of events that brought a measure of legal closure to the case, Brock Dodson was charged with negligent homicide. Court proceedings revealed that Dodson was handling the firearm when it discharged, striking Hettick. After considering the evidence, Dodson was found guilty of the charge. The court sentenced him to a period of incarceration for his role in the death of Blake Hettick, officially changing the narrative of that fateful August evening from an accident to a criminal act of negligence.
