A 33-year-old Columbia Falls man pleaded not guilty to a single charge of felony assault with a weapon after allegedly pointing a gun at a woman at Wayfarers State Park during an argument.
Ryan Charles Pengelly, 33, appeared at an arraignment in Flathead County District Court on Aug. 30. He is expected to stand trial next year.
According to court documents, on July 14, a woman drove the wrong way down a one-way road at Wayfarers State Park. Before realizing the mistake, the woman encountered another vehicle, allegedly driven by Pengelly, coming the other way. The two drivers began to argue before Pengelly pulled out a pistol, “charged” it and pointed it at her. Pengelly allegedly started to get out of the car with the gun before the woman drove away and called 911.
Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and found Pengelly who allegedly said he pulled the gun out as a “show of force” and pointed it at the floorboards of his vehicle.
If convicted, Pengelly could face up to 20 years in prison.
In 2016, Pengelly was shot by two Kalispell police officers in his own home. According to court documents, two Kalispell police officers were dispatched to Pengelly’s home northwest of Kalispell on Jan. 12 after receiving a report of a suicidal woman. After talking to the woman, the officers attempted to get her to go to the hospital with them. When she retreated into the house, one of the officers grabbed her arm and the woman called for her son. Pengelly had been sleeping in a backroom, heard the commotion in the living room and emerged with a loaded rifle. He allegedly pointed the weapon at the two officers. The officers told Pengelly to drop the gun and when he did not lower it immediately they opened fire, striking him five times.
Pengelly survived the shooting and was later charged with felony assault on a peace officer. That charge was later dropped when Pengelly’s attorney presented evidence that the man had not been given enough time to drop his weapon and that his visual and mental reaction time is slower than other people because of injuries he sustained while serving in the military overseas. An investigation by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office cleared the two Kalispell officers of any wrongdoing.