A 28-year-old Kalispell man pleaded not guilty to charges of assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment at an arraignment on April 6 in Flathead County District Court.
Ryan Lewandowski is accused of advancing on police officers after leading them on a high-speed chase through Kalispell last month. He is scheduled to stand trial in September.
According to court documents, the Kalispell Police Department received a report of a disturbance at a Kalispell restaurant at 10:30 p.m. on March 21. By the time police arrived, Lewandowski was leaving the scene and law enforcement started to drive after him. Lewandowski allegedly drove through residential areas at speeds up to 65 miles per hour. The pursuit ended when law enforcement deployed spike strips to stop Lewandowski.
Once the vehicle was stopped, Lewandowski got out and advanced on officers with a machete. Lewandowski eventually dropped the weapon but officers had to use a Taser to get him into custody. While being transported to the Flathead County Detention Center, Lewandowski reportedly threatened the officers and said, “You’re not getting past my homies. They gonna kill you.”
Lewandowski is being held on a $75,000 bail. If convicted, Lewandowski could face up to 30 years in prison.