A Libby woman facing multiple felony charges following a recent incident involving gun play at a Libby eatery where she works appeared Monday in district court.

Presley Pauline Aarstad, 34, is charged with two counts of assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment. Through her attorney, David Maldonado, she pleaded not guilty.

Aarstad’s next court hearing is set for Nov. 3. A potential jury trial would not occur before next year.

The other person involved in the incident, Matthew Hollingsworth, 50, of Libby, was initially charged with aggravated assault. But his charge was refiled as a misdemeanor simple assault. His next court hearing is in Lincoln County Justice Court at 12:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6.

Aarstad was detained in the Lincoln County Detention Center before posting $125,000 bail. Hollinsgworth was also lodged in the county jail before posting $25,000 bail.

According to the probable cause statement by Libby police officer Vince Smart, he, officers Caleb Thomas and Don Luthey were dispatched to East 2nd St. and Mineral Ave. at 11:18 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, for a report of multiple gun shots.

Smart reported stopping his patrol vehicle just east of Po’ Sam’s restaurant. He got out and saw a group of security guards from the chainsaw carving event standing in front of the restaurant. The guards pointed at a woman that Smart recognized as Aarstad. 

According to Smart’s report, the guards indicated Aarstad had fired a gun. She was handcuffed and the guards told Smart that she had fired one round above the victim’s heads. 

Smart spoke to the victims, one a member of a band that was hired by Aarstad and Hollingsworth to play music at Po’ Sam’s. They said after the band was finished playing for the night, Aarstad and Hollingsworth refused to pay the band $500, which had been the deal. Both men challenged each other to fight. Everyone then left the restaurant and the argument continued outside in the patio area. 

On a cell phone video, Hollingsworth can allegedly be heard that he has a gun in his pocket and would shoot the band member in the head.

At some point during the argument, Aarstad left the area and returned with a handgun, firing it into the air above the victim’s heads. Smart reported the bullet was fired in the air and it wasn’t known where the bullet landed.

When Smart placed Aarstad in the back of his patrol vehicle, he smelled alcohol. A portable breath test indicated her blood alcohol content was 0.326% A test of Hollingsworth’s blood indicated it was 0.268%

During their preliminary hearings Monday, Sept. 8, in front of Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield, both said they would be able to afford bail.

Sheffield went over their release conditions, which included not consuming alcohol or drugs, not possessing weapons and no contact with the alleged victims or other defendants. They are also subject to alcohol testing or wearing an alcohol monitoring device and can not enter any bars or casinos, except they are allowed to re-enter the restaurant due to their employment.

A conviction for assault with a weapon may result in a maximum 20-year prison term and a $50,000 fine. A conviction for criminal endangerment may result in a maximum 10-year prison term and a $50,000 fine.

A conviction for misdemeanor simple assault may result in a maximum 6-month jail term and a $500 fine.