MPD Arrest Man for Slashing Tires and Assault With a Weapon

At around 3:45 on June 20, 2020, Missoula police received two 911 calls about a large male with a giant knife slashing tires in the 2400 block McIntosh Loop. Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh explains.

“We had another call from a woman who said this same male had actually threatened her husband with this knife,” Welsh said. “When the officers arrived they made contact with 32-year-old Galen Hawk. They noticed that Hawk had a knife sheath on his hip and did locate a knife nearby.”

Court documents indicate that an officer spoke with the male victim, who reported that he had just got off work and arrived home to hear his children screaming near his front door. He stated he heard his children yelling that a man was slashing tires outside.

He saw Hawk across the street, and said he looked angry and drunk. He told Hawk that he needed to leave and not slash tires. Instead of leaving, Hawk started walking towards the victim.

“He said Hawk approached him rather aggressively,” Welsh said. “He said he noticed that Hawk had a knife on his hip. As he approached, Hawk unsheathed this knife and held it out to him in a threatening manner. At one point, it is reported that Hawk lunged at this man.”

The victim reported that he leaned back and yelled for his wife to call 911. He then started walking backwards and could hear his children screaming at the top of their lungs. Hawk then dropped the knife and walked away. The knife, a large black Ka-Bar knife, was still where Hawk had dropped it.

The victim reported that when Hawk lunged at him he thought he was about to get stabbed. He confirmed that if he had not leaned back he would have been stabbed right in the chest.

As a result, Hawk is being charged with one count of assault with a weapon.