Man who allegedly hit woman with a stun gun wanted bail reduced, court says no

A man who allegedly used a stun gun on the mother of his children while she tried to call 911 on him will remain in jail pending further court appearances.

Aaron Martin McGarry of Whitefish was charged with felony assault with a weapon after allegedly assaulting the woman at her home in Columbia Falls last month.

During McGarry’s arraignment last week in Flathead County District Court, public defender Daniel Wood asked judge Robert Allison to release McGarry on his own recognizance.

But prosecutors objected, claiming that McGarry, who was supposed to have no contact with the victim, tried to call her 28 times from jail.

McGarry, who took the stand, admitted he had a problem with methamphetamine. He said he planned on living with his father in Whitefish, who was suffering form cancer, if he was released.

He pleaded not guilty to the current charges.

But at the time of the alleged assault, McGarry was already on probation on a drug charge.

In the end, Allison, who noted McGarry’s troubling past and behavior, declined to reduce his $100,000 bail and McGarry was put back in custody in the Flathead County Jail.

According to charging documents, dispatch received a 911 call Sept. 22 where the victim could be heard begging McGarry to stop and to let her go. Upon their arrival at the scene, police officers were informed by the victim that, after a verbal altercation, McGarry had pushed her onto a couch and shocked her three times while she attempted to call 911. The victim was unable to speak with the dispatcher until she escaped from McGarry and was able to lock herself in an adjacent bedroom.

McGarry was also in violation of a protection order against contacting the victim and was arrested by Columbia Falls police officers.