Registered Sex Offender Threatens Deputy’s Family during Arrest

41 year-old Nathan Hardin was arrested on Sunday after allegedly driving drunk, and when being transported to the hospital for a blood draw, also allegedly made threats against the arresting officer’s family.

According to court documents, while he was being transported to the hospital for a DUI blood test, Hardin referenced the deputy’s wife and children and that he also knew where they went to church, and stated ‘I can follow you wherever I want’ and ‘I’ll go out driving and see you and follow you home’.

The document also stated that ‘ the deputy took these comments to be absolute threats against his family’.

At his Missoula Justice Court appearance on Tuesday, Deputy Missoula County Attorney Meghann Paddock provided charging information to Judge Landee Holloway.

“In this case the defendant has made some exceptionally concerning statements to the deputy and his family, including specific information about his family’s whereabouts and community based participatory events (church),” said Paddock. “The state has significant concerns both for community safety based on this defendant’s conduct and specifically for the deputy and his family’s safety.”

The County Attorney’s Office recommended that Hardin be released on his own recognizance directly into the Pretrial Supervision Program.

“That he have no contact with the deputy and his family members,” she continued. “That he not have access to any weapons, that he be subject to GPS monitoring through Pretrial Supervision to ensure that he is complying with the court’s conditions, and to ensure the safety of the family at issue, and that he be ordered to not be within 1,500 feet of the family or their home or their places of worship.”

Hardin was released directly into the Pretrial Supervision Program.