Medland pleads guilty to assault, endangerment

Judge Matthew Cuffe of Lincoln County, appearing via the Zoom platform, tentatively set a sentencing date of Sept. 11, possibly sooner, for a Polson man who admitted to charges stemming from a domestic disturbance and wild pursuit through Polson with law enforcement.

Harry Medland III, 36, entered a plea of guilty in District Court at Polson July 24 to felony charges of criminal endangerment and assault with a weapon. The plea was entered as part of an agreement that, at sentencing, will dismiss a felony charge of criminal mischief and misdemeanor charges of theft, partner or family member assault and fleeing from or eluding a peace officer.

The agreement calls for a joint recommendation of five years with the Montana Department of Corrections on each count to run consecutively for a total of 10 years, none suspended. The judge is not bound by the agreement.

According to court records, on Feb. 21, Polson Police were dispatched to a report of a woman in need of help. At the scene, an officer spoke with a woman who indicated that Medland came to her house and threatened her with a gun and a knife. According to the woman, he said he would kill her, pointed a gun at her and brandished a knife while allegedly making the threats.

She also indicated that he appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine and fentanyl. She said there were other children in the house, who were able to flee as she kept Medland preoccupied. She also said Medland punched her in the face and took her cell phone before she managed to escape.

The officer observed swelling and bruising near the woman’s right eye. While the officer was gathering the woman’s statement, emergency dispatchers received a report that Medland had gone to another residence looking for his daughters before leaving in a black pick-up.

When law enforcement came upon the suspect’s pick-up, it accelerated and ran several stop signs, leading law enforcement officers on pursuit. It went from the downtown area, then east to Memory Lane near Wal-Mart before circling back toward Polson.

At one point, the black truck stopped in the 1400 block of 5th Street East, where it took out a fence and damaged a garage while avoiding spike strips. The pick-up finally came to a stop near the 1500 block of 7th Street East, and Medland was taken into custody.

He indicated that he threw some firearms out his window during the pursuit. Officers were able to recover all the firearms.

Medland remains in the Lake County Jail with bail set at $100,000.