Man suspected of murdering girlfriend before shooting at cops in Polson

The man arrested in Lake County for allegedly shooting at a Polson Police officer on Feb. 14 had earlier murdered his girlfriend, prosecutors allege.  

Cameron Edward Francis, 49, faces felony counts of deliberate homicide and attempted deliberate homicide in the 20th Judicial District Court after allegedly shooting his girlfriend dead, stealing her car and trying to flee the area Feb. 14. He is expected to be arraigned before Judge John Mercer on Feb. 27 and remains in the Lake County Jail with bail set at $2 million. 

Authorities began hunting him after a Polson Police officer pulled Francis over for driving a black 2018 Honda Accord with no taillights on U.S. 93 near Rocky Point Road about 11:51 p.m., court documents said. While the officer radioed dispatchers, Francis allegedly opened fire and riddled the marked police cruiser with around 20 bullets, court documents alleged. The rounds struck the front fender, grill, radiator and windshield, showering the officer with glass.  

Authorities later recovered a 5.56 mm NATO military-style rifle, also described as a ghost gun, with a 60-round barrel drum magazine and red dot sight from Francis' vehicle, court documents said. The rifle's receiver was custom milled and lacked a serial number. Investigators also found a plastic tub containing hundreds of rounds of NATO 5.56 mm ammunition with a green tip described in court documents as "commonly referred to as 'armor piercing rounds' because of their enhanced steel tip." 

Francis allegedly fired in two bursts and then fled. The officer attempted to pursue until his damaged vehicle overheated and broke down. 

But a tip from a resident who had come across a man acting strangely led authorities to the Elmo area, court documents said. Officers found the Honda Accord and followed footprints left in the snow to the Elmo Post Office. Francis was inside, lying prone and ready to surrender, according to court documents.  

"I give up," he allegedly told them. "You got me." 

During the subsequent trip to the county jail, Francis allegedly told them he had been staying with his girlfriend in Polson. He told officers the Honda Accord belonged to her and "you'll figure it all out from here," according to court documents.  

Francis also admitted to shooting several people in the past, court documents alleged.  

Two days after Francis' arrest, the son of Kimberley Goodson of Polson phoned authorities asking them to check on his mother. He told authorities that Goodson was in an abusive relationship with Francis and said he had not heard from her since Valentine's Day. 

Officers performing a welfare check on Goodson's Fourth Avenue home found her dead, her body left in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor, court documents said.  

Investigators found evidence of a struggle in the home and large amounts of ammunition, including green-tipped 5.56 mm rounds. They recovered a spent 5.56 mm casing near Goodson's body, court documents alleged.  

An autopsy later determined that Goodson died from a single gunshot to the face. A green-tipped fragment from a 5.56 mm round was extracted from her skull, court documents said.  

Francis has prior convictions in state and federal court for manufacturing methamphetamine, assault, vehicle theft, evading peace officers, obstructing or resisting an officer, assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon and vandalism, according to court documents.