A 60-year-old Kalispell man is behind bars on a felony assault with a weapon charge after allegedly leveling a shotgun at his girlfriend during an argument earlier this month.

James Daniel Fenn Jr. faces a single count of assault with a weapon in Flathead County District Court following the Oct. 21 fight. He remains in the county jail with bail set at $50,000.

Deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office came across Fenn after responding to a disturbance reportedly involving a gun on South Woodland Drive about 12:19 p.m. Arriving deputies spotted a man, later identified as Fenn, standing outside the home, court documents said.

Fenn allegedly reported getting into an argument with his girlfriend and admitted becoming irate during the disagreement. When his girlfriend said she planned to call the authorities, he told her that “he was going to give her a reason to call and picked up his shotgun,” court documents said.

Fenn allegedly told deputies that he pointed the weapon at her in the hopes of scaring her.

Investigators later turned up a 12 gauge Mossberg pump action shotgun, according to court documents.

Fenn is scheduled to appear in district court for his arraignment before Judge Robert Allison on Nov. 3. If convicted of assault with a weapon, he faces up to 20 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].