Blue Bay man used sawed-off shotgun to threaten family

Aaron Christopher Dodge, 45, of Blue Bay, had been drinking and watching television April 18 when he, his wife and daughter began arguing about an actress, according to a Lake County Court affidavit. 

When Dodge could not persuade his family members to agree with his point of view, he tried to force their compliance at the point of a sawed off shotgun, Lake County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Eschenbacher said.

After trying unsuccessfully to convince his family he was right, Dodge became physical, striking his wife with his hand, records said.

He then “fell back on his usual tool of persuasion, a sawed-off shotgun, which he jacked a round into the chamber,” Eschenbacher said in his affidavit. “Surprisingly, the defendant pointed the shotgun at the floor and pulled the trigger. The ricocheting buckshot struck the defendant’s wife, daughter and son.”

Dodge told authorities that he might have pointed the shotgun at his wife as he lowered it to the floor before he shot, records said. Another family member said Dodge also pointed the gun at them, court records show.

“The wounded family members were able to grab the car keys in order to escape the scene, and reported that the defendant could be heard shouting, “get the (expletive deleted) out,” court records said. 

Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies were alerted to the incident at about 1 p.m. April 17 after Dodge’s wife, who was driving herself and two family members to the hospital, called emergency dispatchers to tell them she was driving to St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson, Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said.

During her emergency call, the woman said she had been shot accidentally. Shortly later, however, the woman called back to inform the sheriff’s office the shooting was intentional, Bell said.

Lake County deputies responded to the hospital and to the home where the shooting occurred. 

When deputies arrived at the original location of the shooting, Dodge was gone, Bell said.

Deputies secured the house, applied for a search warrant and began looking for the car they believed Dodge was driving, Bell said.

Deputies found the car in an orchard but it was unoccupied, Bell said.

At around 7:30 p.m., as deputies kept watch at the suspect’s home, they saw Dodge return home, Bell said.

After a foot chase, Dodge was apprehended and taken into custody, Bell said.

Dodge was arrested on one count of felony partner or family member assault causing serious bodily injury and three counts of felony assault with a weapon. He is in custody at Lake County Detention Center in Polson.

The three injured family members, two who were adults and one juvenile were first treated at St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson. Two family members were released and one family member continues to be hospitalized while recovering from surgery, Bell said.

Dodge was taken into custody and kept in Lake County Jail since April 17 and is being held on a $50,000 bond. Court records show that Dodge has an arrest history that shows two or more convictions for domestic violence, the affidavit said.