Lake County Sheriff’s officers and Tribal Police responded to an incident in the Jette Meadows subdivision involving a 37-year-old Polson man allegedly hitting his older brother twice with a hatchet on last Wednesday afternoon.

A row of police vehicles stretched down the rural Polson driveway on Canyon View Place minutes after the family disturbance call came  in at 1:25 p.m.

Brennan Adrian Jones was arrested on-site and is charged with misdemeanor non-aggravated partner/family member assault and felony assault with a weapon. Jones is being held on $50,000 bond at Lake County Jail.

In Jones’ initial Justice Court appearance on Thursday, Lake County Deputy Attorney Cory Allen stated, reading from a police report,  that Brennan allegedly struck his 42-year-old brother Brandon in the shoulder and the head with the hatchet. The incident took place at the Jones’ mother’s home where the brothers had been staying.

Allen said the older brother was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson where he was treated for his injuries and released. The blow to the head reportedly severed the victim’s scalp to the skull, leaving a three-inch cut above his left eye that required nine staples to stitch up. The shoulder injury was reportedly minor and required no staples.

An older man, who was also reportedly on the premises and witnessed the incident, jumped in to try and stop the assault and incurred minor injuries in the process. The unidentified man was also transported to St. Joseph Medical Center to be treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Deputy attorney Allen not only recommended the $50,000 bond be set on terms of the incident he called “a very violent offense,” but also in the context of Jones’ prior violent criminal history. Jones reportedly has five arrests during the past two decades on his record — ranging from criminal endangerment in 2007, to robbery and assault charges in 1988 that earned him a 10-year sentence in Montana State Prison.

Justice Court Judge Chuck Wall set the bond on Thursday and explained to Jones the maximum penalty for the charges against him. For the misdemeanor assault charge, Jones could possibly face up to $1,000 in fines and one year jail time, mandatory anger management classes, loss of ability to own firearms and any restitution payments for medical bills. For the felony assault with a weapon charge, Jones could face up to $5,000 in fines and 20 years in prison.

Although it was not the appropriate time to enter a plea, Jones briefly mentioned in court Thursday that he was set up, prematurely arguing that he assaulted his brother in self defense.

Law enforcement authorities could not speak to the conflict or cause behind the incident on Thursday as the Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigation into this case is ongoing.