Man accused of aiming gun at motorists sees case dismissed

A man accused of aiming a rifle at fellow travelers on U.S. 2 on the day after Thanksgiving reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the Flathead County Attorney's Office earlier this year.

Prosecutors charged Herbert Hale Brown, 64, with two counts of felony assault with a weapon following the Nov. 25 incident. He pleaded not guilty at his Dec. 8 arraignment before Judge Dan Wilson in Flathead County District Court.

Brown ran afoul of law enforcement after a married couple driving westbound along U.S. 2 phoned authorities and reported another motorist for pointing a rifle at them, according to court documents. The pair said they had tried to pass the vehicle and fallen back owing to oncoming traffic.

Back in the travel lane, the couple allegedly saw the motorist ahead of them, later identified as Brown, lift a rifle with one hand. Lifting it a second time, he pointed the weapon at the pair, court documents said.

When Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies met up with Brown later on, they described him as uncooperative. He had called 911 as well and allegedly reported brandishing a weapon at the people inside a vehicle following him.

Brown did make a phone call in front of deputies, allegedly to his children. According to court documents, he told them he had done “something stupid” and admitted brandishing the rifle.

Citing the deferred prosecution agreement, County Attorney Travis Ahner filed a motion to dismiss the case in district court on April 10. Wilson ordered it dismissed without prejudice April 14.

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