On May 3, 2022, a Missoula Police Department Officer responded to traffic stop that had been executed by another officer at 930 N Russell Street. When the second officer arrived, the original officer was already speaking through the passenger side window with the driver of the vehicle. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold explains.

“Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for an equipment violation,” Arnold said. “When officers contacted the driver, Jessi Guardipee, officers noticed physical indication of Guardipee attempting to avoid eye contact and making erratic body movements. After positively identifying Guardipee, dispatch advised Guardipee had felony warrants. Officers placed Guardipee under arrest and probation and parole became involved.”

An officer observed behavior from Guardipee that is consistent with drug use in his experience and training, such as rapid body movements, avoiding eye contact, and body tremors.

At one point, Guardipee attempted to conceal her purse under several items in the car. Officers were then notified that Guardipee is on felony probation and had a warrant out for her arrest.

“A probation search was requested by probation and parole,” Arnold said. “During the search, dangerous drugs that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine were located as well as paraphernalia that is used when distributing and using dangerous drugs. This case is still under investigation with the Missoula Police Department Detective Division.”

In Guardipee’s purse that she attempted to conceal, officers found four Ziploc baggies containing methamphetamine, two glass pipes, four syringes, a digital scale, seven metal tins commonly used to prepare dangerous drugs for injection, a blue tourniquet, eight vials of saline, and a large quantity of Ziploc bags. One of the baggies contained a larger amount of the substance than the others.

Court documents indicate Guardipee admitted that the substance found in her purse was methamphetamine and that she had purchased it earlier that day.

Guardipee is currently being charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute.

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