Man re-sentenced for 2011 shooting incident

A 36-year-old former Columbia Falls man was re-sentenced Oct. 4 for a shooting incident two years ago in Columbia Falls.

According to court records, Joby Bealmer was arrested after deputies responded to a shooting report at 13th Street East North, just outside the Columbia Falls city limits, in October 2011.

Bealmer reportedly told deputies he was returning home from the Columbia Bar and thought he saw a light go off in his house and heard the back door open. He allegedly told deputies 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. 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 successfully argued that he was found driving a vehicle in his driveway, not on a public road.

Bealmer pleaded guilty in March 2012 by way of an Alford plea to a felony count of threats in official matters. 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.

Flathead County District Court Judge David Ortley sentenced Bealmer in May 2012 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.

In his Oct. 4 judgment and sentence, Ortley noted that the state had petitioned twice to revoke Bealmer’s two-year deferred sentence because of the probation violations.

Ortley re-sentenced Bealmer to a three-year deferred sentence with a new probation condition — he must report to his probation officer every other week for the first four months. Bealmer had been living in South Dakota.