Whitefish man faces felony weapon charge over video game dispute

A Whitefish man involved in the 2015 robbery of an undercover agent during a controlled drug buy is behind bars again after authorities said he fired a gun during a dispute over a video game.

Kellen Patrick Martin McGarry, 25, is charged with assault with a weapon, a felony. He is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center on $50,000 bail.

McGarry is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 3.

His pending charge originated at 3:20 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, when Kalispell Police officers arrived at a local motel where a woman told them she confronted McGarry about stealing a video game console.

The woman said McGarry denied the theft and said he “could get much louder.” The victim said McGarry pulled out a handgun and fired one round.

When a KPD investigator watched video footage, she saw two women talking to a man who was sitting inside a SUV. As the women walked away from the vehicle, the detective saw a muzzle flash from the driver’s side door.

About 10 hours later, an officer saw a vehicle driven by McGarry and stopped it. An officer saw a spent shell casing near the windshield and McGarry was arrested.

Later that day, a detective spoke to a woman who was in the vehicle with McGarry when it was stopped by officers.

She allegedly said she was with McGarry in the hotel parking lot when he and the victim argued about the game console before the accused fired the gun.

McGarry was involved in a January 2015 crime when Jacob Sauls tried to rob an undercover agent during a controlled drug buy. Sauls was convicted and has since been jailed on new charges earlier this fall.

McGarry was in the vehicle during the incident. He pleaded guilty to his role in the crime and received a five-year sentence.

Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 406-758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com