Sentencing set for man charged with felony assault with weapon
SCOTT SHINDLEDECKER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 4 months AGO
A Kalispell man accused of shooting at a trio of people last fall is scheduled to be sentenced next week in Flathead District Court.
Austen Christopher Lee Newton, 23, will appear in front of District Judge Amy Eddy at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 12.
According to court documents, Newton has agreed to plead guilty to two felony counts of assault with a weapon and one count of criminal endangerment.
Both the prosecution and defense are jointly recommending Newton receive a 10-year sentence with five years suspended to the Department of Corrections.
Charging documents filed by the Flathead County Attorney’s Office report that a woman called 911 at 12:31 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, to report her ex-boyfriend had fired a gun at her.
When a deputy from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office responded to a North Cedar Drive residence, the female victim said Newton arrived at the home and wanted to fight another man who lived in the house.
The man refused to fight Newton and then the accused became upset and fired a handgun at her and a friend. The victim said they ducked behind her car when he fired the gun.
The deputy saw several bullet holes in the victim’s car, several spent shell casings on the ground and one bullet hole in the residence.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Sentencing set for man charged with felony assault with weapon
Daily Inter-Lake | Updated 5 years, 4 months ago
Men face lengthy prison terms in drive-by shooting in Kalispell
Hungry Horse News | Updated 4 years, 10 months ago
ARTICLES BY SCOTT SHINDLEDECKER
County commission OKs Port Authority reorganization
During the public comment portion of the hearing, a number of residents expressed concerns and doubt about the decision...

Special edition Mustang GTD rolls into Libby
High-performance car lovers in Libby got a treat last week when Timberline Ford took delivery of a 2025 Ford Mustang GTD.

Grizzly-human encounters picking up in Northwest Montana
he encounter occurred last Thursday on the trail which is located off of Callahan Creek Road.