Ronan man sentenced for Town Pump altercation

A Ronan man was committed in District Court in Polson June 25 to the Montana Department of Corrections for five years, with none of that time suspended.

Joseph Channing Entwistle, 21, pled guilty to assault with a weapon during a change of plea hearing May 14. The sentence was in accordance to a plea agreement that includes a recommendation for pre-release.

According to court records, on Feb. 27, Polson Police responded to a 911 report of a man threatening employees with a knife at the Town Pump convenience store. The dispatcher could hear someone in the background say, “I’ll knock you out, I’ll go to jail right now.”

Polson Police arrived to find Entwistle surrendering at the front door of the store. When he was arrested police found a folding knife in his pants pocket and a handgun in his waistband. He was still yelling at the employees.

Judge Molly Owen gave Entwistle credit for having already served 119 days in jail.