Teen pleads innocent in shooting case

The 19-year-old Kalispell man accused of opening fire on a Flathead County Sheriff’s deputy pleaded innocent Thursday to attempted deliberate homicide and two other felonies.

Bryson Patrick Connolly entered the plea in Flathead District Court.

Connolly is accused of shooting as many as 15 rounds from an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle at Deputy Roger Schiff on Aug. 19.

Connolly allegedly began shooting after Schiff attempted to pull over the Pontiac 6000 LE that Connolly was driving on Kacu Lane, a dead-end road off of Airport Road.

Schiff put his patrol vehicle in reverse and backed through a fence to escape the gunfire, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He was not seriously injured, though he did sustain cuts from broken glass.

Connolly also has been charged with assault on a peace officer and two counts of assault with a weapon along with the charge of attempted homicide. He pleaded not guilty to those charges as well on Thursday morning before District Judge Katherine Curtis.

Connolly is being represented by John Quatman, a defense attorney from Whitefish.

He’s currently being held in the Flathead County Detention Center with bail set at $750,000.

Connolly faces a prison term of up to 110 years and a fine of $50,000 if convicted.