Man charged in 2011 shooting is back in court

A revocation hearing has been scheduled for a 35-year-old former Columbia Falls man who was arrested at his home just outside the city limits in October 2011 after deputies received reports of gunshots.

Joby Bealmer, 35, was driving his vehicle in his driveway when he was contacted by deputies. He reportedly told deputies he thought he saw a light go off in his house and heard the back door open when he arrived home from the Columbia Bar. He then allegedly said he went to his truck, got his gun and “dumped some ***king lead” into the woods behind his home.

Deputies reportedly had trouble arresting Bealmer, who allegedly yelled at the deputies to “get the ***k off my property.” Local police were aware for some time that Bealmer was the president of Montana Crew, the local chapter of the Brother Speed Motorcycle Club, of Portland, Ore.

While Bealmer was outside his vehicle talking to deputies, another deputy allegedly observed an SKS assault-type rifle laying on the front seat and a pistol grip sticking out of a Crown Royal bag on the driver’s side floor.

Bealmer was initially charged with four misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, possession of dangerous drugs and DUI. Those charges were amended to one felony count of threats in official matters and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and DUI.

The DUI charge was dropped after Bealmer’s public defender argued that he was in his driveway, not on a public road. But Flathead County District Court Judge David Ortley denied a motion to suppress evidence about the firearms after concluding that Bealmer did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Bealmer pleaded guilty last year in an Alford plea to a felony count of threats in official matters, and the resisting arrest charge was dropped. In an Alford plea, a defendant doesn’t admit guilt but agrees that the state’s evidence is sufficient to bring a conviction.

Ortley sentenced Bealmer on May 10 to two years deferred and ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine, all suspended, and an $800 public defender fee, all suspended.

But according to probation reports, Bealmer was arrested in September 2012 and charged with partner-family assault. His blood alcohol content at the time was 0.107 . He was also accused of slashing three tires on a Ford Explorer in Hungry Horse in November 2012.

The probation report recommended Bealmer be sentenced to five years with the Department of Corrections, where he could benefit from the Connections Corrections program. Ortley raised Bealmer’s bail from $20,000 to $25,000 and ordered a revocation hearing for March 7.