Man accused of injuring woman after firing gun in home pleads not guilty

A Flathead County man accused of sending a woman to the hospital after his gun went off over the Fourth of July holiday weekend has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge stemming from the incident.

Authorities arrested George Paul Herne, 20, in the early morning hours of July 4 while following up on a report of a person receiving treatment for a gunshot wound at a local emergency room, according to court documents. The victim told deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office that she was in bed with her young daughter when a noise woke her up.

The victim initially thought a mattress spring broke, but then felt pain and dampness, court documents said. She later learned the wound came from being struck by a bullet.

Investigators at the Bison Drive home where the incident occurred found a bullet hole in the floor of her room, determining the round came from below and went through her mattress. An individual also in the home that night told authorities that an allegedly drunken Herne was in the basement at the time. When he took out a gun and began playing with it, the witness told him to put it away, according to court documents.

Instead, he pointed the gun at the basement ceiling and “fired a round,” court documents said.

Although booked in county jail in July — and later released on his own recognizance with conditions — Herne finally appeared before Judge Dan Wilson for his arraignment on Nov. 23. Continuations were requested in July and October, according to documents filed in district court. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for April with Herne expected to reappear in court for a May 24 pretrial conference.

Criminal endangerment carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in Montana State Prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.