A Kalispell woman was given a five-year suspended sentence to the Montana State Hospital, one year after she pulled a gun on two people trying to repossess a recliner.
Karren Schmiedeke appeared in Flathead County District Court on June 11.
According to court documents, two rent-to-own employees arrived at Schmiedeke’s home in Kalispell on July 31, 2014 to repossess furniture she had not paid for. While the two employees were inside a bedroom trying to determine if the recliner was the right one, Schmiedeke became upset and grabbed a gun and pointed it at the two men and another man in the home. She accused them of trying to steal her furniture.
When police officers arrived, they located a .22 caliber rifle in the bedroom where the recliner was located. She was later charged with two counts of assault with a weapon.
A mental health evaluation later found that Schmiedeke suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. During her change of plea hearing on March 19, where she pleaded guilty by reason of mental defect to charges of criminal endangerment, Schmiedeke told Judge Heidi Ulbricht that she was scared and thought she was in danger when the people arrived.