Ronan man pleads guilty to criminal endangerment

RONAN —  A Lake County man pled guilty to  criminal endangerment on Sept. 19 in district court, which resulted in a four-year suspended sentence.  

 According to court records Leroy Black III was originally charged with the offenses of assault on a peace officer, bodily injury, “obtain or exerts unauthorized control over a domesticated hoofed animal,” criminal endangerment and theft.  

Black accepted the plea agreement and pled guilty to the charge of criminal endangerment, a felony.

According to court records, on May 4 at approximately 2:09 a.m Deputy Ryan Funke responded to the report of a stolen four-wheeler vehicle traveling westbound on Carbine Road. 

According to court record Deputy Funke  witnessed the reported vehicle driving at a high rate of speed, Black failed to obey a stop sign and nearly struck Deputy Funke’s patrol vehicle. Deputy Funke activated his lights and siren and pursued the vehicle. 

Flathead Tribal Officer T.J Haynes was standing outside of his vehicle at the intersection of Moise Valley Road and Beaver Drive according to court records when Black nearly hit Officer Haynes while driving the four-wheeler. 

According to records Black then attempted to pull into a driveway unsuccessfully and narrowly missed striking a tree. The four-wheeler then came to a stop because it had multiple flat tires and appeared to be undrivable. 

According to court records Black fled from the four-wheeler with Officer Funke and Hayes in pursuit.   The officers were eventually able to  apprehend the defendant but he continued to ignore the directions of law enforcement. 

According to court records, Black  was tased by Officer Haynes and Officer Funke was then able to restrain him.  

The owners of the four-wheeler reported to law enforcement that they had been awakened by a barking dog and observed someone stealing their vehicle. They indicated that the defendant did not have permission to be on their property or to take the four-wheeler.