A 20-year-old Libby man has been charged with aggravated assault following a Halloween night car chase that forced a local church to go into lockdown.
Mason Risteau has been charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
According to law enforcement officials, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s dispatch received a call at about 6 p.m. on Oct. 31 from Risteau’s mother that her son was depressed and had stolen her Chevrolet Suburban. She also said that there was a loaded gun in the car. As sheriff’s deputies, the Libby City Police and the Montana Highway Patrol mobilized, dispatch received another call, this time from Risteau, telling them that he had a gun and to “come and get me.” Police were able to track the call to Parmenter Drive area on the west side of Libby. Dispatch then began to call off-duty deputies in as backup.
About an hour later, dispatch received another call from Risteau who said that if police didn’t find him soon he was going to start shooting. That call was traced to the area of Ninth Street and Idaho Avenue. Ten minutes later, deputies found Risteau driving near downtown Libby and followed him across the Kootenai River Bridge. Officers were instructed to keep a distance from Risteau so as to not provoke the armed man in the middle of town just as many children and families were celebrating Halloween. After Risteau drove across the river, police set up a barricade so he could not come back into town.
Risteau then turned in to the Libby Christian Church parking lot off Highway 37 and got out of the vehicle, waving the rifle at family members who had been following him. People who were in the parking lot were ordered to get into the church and lock the doors. Risteau then ran off with the gun and headed toward Pipe Creek Road where he was soon captured near the Plum Creek Timber office without incident.
While Risteau was being transported to jail, police received a report that earlier in the evening a man near Cabinet Peaks Medical Center had pointed a gun at two different people. Libby police investigated the report and confirmed that it was Risteau.
No one was injured in the incident and Risteau has been charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault. If convicted, Risteau could face up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.