Bar patron pleads guilty to firing gun on Main Street

Judge Molly Owen set sentencing for Dec. 18 for a Polson man accused of firing a weapon on Polson’s Main Street.

Slade Tomas Gray Cook, 31, pled guilty to felony criminal endangerment during a hearing in District Court in Polson Nov. 6. The plea was entered as part of an agreement that could dismiss one count of felony assault with a weapon.

The agreement comes with a joint recommendation of a five-year commitment to the Montana Department of Corrections with all that time suspended. The judge is not bound by the agreement.

According to court records, on May 6, 2023, Cook was at the VFW on Main Street in Polson when he got into an argument with another patron. The bartender told both men to leave and followed the two out to make sure the argument didn’t become physical.

However, once outside, Cook fired a shot into the air with a black handgun, then fired another shot south down Main Street. He then pointed the firearm at others, before firing a third shot and leaving.

Polson Police responded and gathered statements from witnesses. They also found a .22 shell casing in the area where the shots were fired. Much of the incident was caught on video surveillance at the establishment.

Cook remains at liberty on his own recognizance.