Meth use fuels assaults and obstructing charges

Law enforcement well acquainted with C-Falls man

A 27-year-old Columbia Falls man with a long history of arrests and drug abuse ran afoul of the law one more time March 6. The deputies who caught up with David Markwardt after a high-speed chase in Somers reported seeing him snort something off the dashboard of his vehicle moments before the arrest.

Markwardt had no priors back in November 2003 when he was arrested in Kalispell and charged with felony accountability to assault with a weapon. He was charged in that case with taking a 17-year-old girl from Kalispell Center Mall to the home of an alleged drug dealer who assaulted the girl and accused her of mouthing off about the drug dealing. Following a plea agreement, Flathead County District Court Judge Ted Lympus gave Markwardt a two-year deferred sentence.

Kalispell officers dealt with Markwardt again in August 2010 when his ex-girlfriend reported he was belligerent and intoxicated and wouldn’t leave her home. After he allegedly shoved her against a wall, others in the home were able to force him outside. But Markwardt barged back in and assaulted his ex-girlfriend again. Others in the home once more forced him outside, and he tried to get in through a window.

Charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of partner-family member assault, resisting arrest and assault, Markwardt pleaded guilty after the felony charge was dismissed. Lympus sentenced Markwardt in May 2011 to two years with all but 24 hours suspended and ordered Markwardt to attend chemical dependency and violence counseling.

Prior to that sentence, however, Markwardt had a run-in at the Columbia Falls City Court. Markwardt showed up in March 2011 to face charges of driving with a suspended license and no insurance, but upon learning of the bond to be imposed by City Judge Tina Gordon, Markwardt allegedly fled on foot and drove away before police could respond. He later turned himself in facing additional charges of escape, reckless driving and resisting arrest,

By early December 2011, the probation office reported Markwardt had racked up numerous violations, including two driving-related habitual offender citations, a partner-family member assault charge in November 2011, drinking and failure to pay supervision fees.

By far Markwardt’s most unusual arrest incident occurred on Jan. 26 at his Frontage Road home in Columbia Falls. Two sheriff’s deputies responding to the scene immediately handcuffed a woman and put her in their patrol vehicle. Doing the same with Markwardt, however, proved extremely difficult.

Even after he was handcuffed, the two deputies could not get Markwardt into their vehicle, as he kept saying he wanted to lock his house before leaving and screamed “police brutality, police brutality.” The deputies shot Markwardt with Taser probes once and then used the Taser directly five more times. Two Columbia Falls police officers arrived to assist.

Markwardt was hit with pepper spray with no effect. Officers then turned to dog leashes and backboard straps in an effort to restrain Markwardt, as the struggle continued on the water-covered icy ground. Eventually a doctor was contacted who recommended use of the sedatives Haldol, Versed and Valium, which ambulance personnel administered by an injection to Markwardt’s thigh. Again, according to the deputies’ report, Markwardt continued to resist.

Finally he was restrained and transported to the Kalispell Regional Medical Center emergency room for treatment. About a week later, the county attorney’s office filed a petition to revoke Markwardt’s sentence for the 2010 incident. He bonded out on Feb. 27, however, equipped with a SCRAM monitor.

On March 6, Columbia Falls police officers responded to Markwardt’s Frontage Road home following reports of a woman hitting a vehicle with a two-by-four. Markwardt was inside the vehicle but they soon switched places. He drove off before the officers arrived.

Six hours later, Markwardt was reportedly seen in the Del’s Bar parking lot in Somers and deputies responded. Following a high-speed chase reaching 80 mph, in which Markwardt allegedly nearly hit several other vehicles, deputies boxed-in his vehicle and stopped him. Markwardt was seen snorting something off the dashboard as the deputies approached the vehicle.

Later at the county detention center, Markwardt allegedly slipped his cuffs from back to front. An inventory search turned up a baggie containing a substance assumed to be methamphetamine. Markwardt was charged with felony counts of drug possession and criminal endangerment and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.