Somers man pleads not guilty to assault with a weapon

Justin Longtine, 28, of Somers pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of assault with a weapon while in Flathead District County on Aug. 16.

Longtine allegedly shot a man outside an apartment on Airport Road after having fired a round into the ceiling of an apartment on July 17.

A court document states two men overheard an argument between Longtine and a woman in the couple’s apartment and yelled that they were going to call the police after hearing sounds that lead them to believe Longtine was assaulting the woman.

The document went on to allege that Longtine then went to the doorway of the apartment the two men were in while holding a handgun and told them to mind their own business before firing a round into the ceiling and pointing the gun at the woman. She then ran out of their apartment and hid behind the two men.

One of the men reported Longtine had left the apartment building and headed toward his vehicle, pointed the gun at one of the men and fired again before fleeing in his car.

Three witnesses all gave similar accounts of the story and police found a shell casing inside Longtine’s apartment and bullet hole in the ceiling as well as another shell casing and bullet hole in the carport near the building’s exit.

The court document also notes Longtine is roughly two months into probation after having been convicted of felony theft for a 2009 case and misdemeanor bail jumping for a 2011 case. He entered general denials to allegations of violating his probation on each case during a separate hearing on Aug. 16.

He is currently being held in the Flathead County Detention Center, where his bond is set at $80,000.

His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 31.