A Columbia Falls man has been given a deferred sentence six months after he shot at two hunters encroaching on his spot on the Flathead River.
Brad Bell pleaded no contest to misdemeanor criminal mischief on April 27 in Flathead County District Court. Following his change of plea, he was given a one-year deferred sentence and ordered to pay $1,800 in restitution to the two hunters he shot at near Bigfork last fall.
A no contest plea is entered when a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough to make a conviction.
According to court documents, two duck hunters were floating up the Flathead River by boat on Oct. 28, 2015 near Fennon Slough when they passed near another hunter’s decoys. The hunter, later identified as Bell, yelled at them and then a few moments later fired his shotgun at the boat. The two hunters in the boat reported being struck with shotgun pellets.
Bell later told police that he did fire his gun but that he had been aiming at a nearby duck. Bell’s hunting partner could not verify if there was a duck in the area.
Bell was initially charged with felony criminal endangerment but that amended to misdemeanor criminal mischief in a plea agreement.