Bail set at $100,000 in shooting death of 3-year-old
<p>Substitute judge Sharon Richardson hears Galen Hawk's initial appearance to set bond Friday in Lake County Justice Court. Hawk's image is on the screen on the right.</p>
LAKE COUNTY – A judge set Galen Hawk's bond today at $100,000 in a shooting death of a 3-year-old boy that occurred Oct. 22. Hawk, 26 of St. Ignatius, is charged with felony negligent homicide.
He did not enter a plea today (Friday) and court officials did not know when an arraignment was scheduled.
The boy, who is not related but lives in the same Eagle Pass Trail house, was accidentally shot in the torso, according to Lake County Public Information Officer Karen Sargeant.
Family members transported the victim by private vehicle to St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan, where he later died.
At Friday’s video hearing, Hawk sat in an orange jumpsuit behind a video screen and imposing black bars in the Lake County Detention jail in Polson while substitute Lake County Justice Court Judge Sharon Richardson, Hawk’s attorney Lake County Public Defender Matt Pavelich and Lake County Deputy Attorney James Lapotka appeared in justice court upstairs.
The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 8:22 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22 that the boy was being brought by private vehicle to the hospital with a gunshot wound.
Lake County Undersheriff Dan Yonkin said the boy was shot with a small-caliber gun. His body was taken to the state crime lab in Missoula for an autopsy.