Man pleads not guilty in shooting incident

A 65-year-old Kalispell man pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of criminal endangerment Thursday in Flathead District Court.

According to court documents, Steven Brewer was arrested on Jan. 3 after an incident at his Helena Flats Road home. One of Brewer’s neighbors had contacted the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office after hearing numerous shots coming from Brewer’s residence.

The woman opened her door and heard “whizzing sounds” which she thought were bullets being fired in her direction.

When deputies responded, they located Brewer, who allegedly smelled like alcohol and was slurring his words. The documents state that he admitted to firing a gun into the air because the neighbor’s dog was on his property and then going into a tirade about the dog going to the bathroom in his yard.

Deputies received permission to enter his home and located a loaded handgun and a box of ammunition.

If convicted, Brewer faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.