$50,000 Bond for Huson man who Threatened People with a Pistol

50 year-old James Garner of Huson is in the Missoula County Jail on $50,000 bond after allegedly pointing a pistol and several people on Thursday, July 30.

Deputy County Attorney Carrie Garber provided details of the charges to Judge Shandar Badaruddin, including four felony counts of assault with a weapon and one count of criminal trespass.

“During the early morning hours of July 30^th the defendant was on his own property shooting guns until about 2:20 a.m.” said Garber. “A neighbor is alleged to have heard him threaten to kill someone during this repeated discharge of firearms. The following morning he was walking down 9 Mile Road and multiple cars passed him. As these cars passed him he raised a pistol and pointed it at them as he drove by.”

Garber said Garner then escalated his aggressive behavior.

“Eventually, he jumped in front of a vehicle,” she said. “This vehicle’s driver panicked and then attempted to flee by throwing his vehicle into reverse, but then unfortunately crashed into one of Mr. Garner’s neighbor’s fences. He came up to the vehicle and continued to point the gun.”

At that point more people became involved until law enforcement officers arrived.

“The neighbor came out hearing the crash and told Mr. Garner to get away, however Mr. Garner responded to his neighbor by racking the slide of his pistol and pointing it directly at her,” she said. “All of these people were extremely fearful of Garner and were afraid he was going to shoot them. When law enforcement finally took him into custody, your honor, he made threats to kill the officers.”

Garber asked substitute Judge Badaruddin to place Garner in jail on $75,000 bond, stating he posed an extreme danger to the public, however Judge Badaruddin set his bond at $50,000 and placed him on pretrial supervision.

Garner’s next court appearance was set for mid August.