Kalispell man sentenced for warning off dirt bike rider with gunfire
DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 3 weeks AGO
NEWS EDITOR Derrick Perkins serves as News Editor at the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees daily news coverage and works closely with reporters to plan, edit and publish stories across print and digital platforms. Perkins helps coordinate coverage of local government, public safety, business and community developments throughout Northwest Montana. He works with the reporting staff to strengthen journalism while maintaining consistent daily coverage. His role helps ensure the newsroom delivers timely, accurate reporting that readers rely on. IMPACT: Derrick’s work keeps readers informed about the decisions and events shaping their communities every day. | May 22, 2026 12:00 AM
A Kalispell man accused of using a handgun to encourage a man traveling by dirt bike to slow down in 2025 later received a suspended jail sentence.
David Leon Wagar, 63, initially pleaded not guilty in Flathead County District Court to one count of felony criminal endangerment in connection with the alleged May 7, 2025 confrontation near Piney Dell Trail. By July, though, Wagar was prepared to enter a guilty plea to an amended charge of negligent endangerment.
In exchange, prosecutors agreed to recommend Wagar receive a suspended one-year sentence in the Flathead County Detention Center.
Judge Heidi Ulbricht stuck to the terms of the deal at Wagar's July 31 sentencing. She gave him credit for two days of time served and ordered him to pay $1,085 in court fines and fees.
The victim told Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies that he was riding to Market Road and back again when he saw Wagar aiming a gun at the road in front of him about 9:53 p.m., according to court documents. Allegedly shooting from his porch, Wagar fired twice before threatening the victim.
Wagar told deputies the victim was riding recklessly and kicking up dirt from the road. He said he "put a couple of slugs in the hillside just to say, 'Hey man, slow down," according to court documents.
Investigators described Wagar as slurring and giving off the odor of an alcoholic beverage. They also secured a steel gray Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum from him, according to court documents.
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