Polson man receives suspended sentence for weapons assault

Eric Walter Baszler, 42, who was convicted of assault with a weapon after a day-long trial in May, was sentenced in District Court July 16 to the Montana Department of Corrections for 10 years, with all that time suspended.

According to court records, on Sept. 16, 2024, a man and woman contacted law enforcement to report that a man in a white pickup pulled up alongside them and brandished a pistol at them. The incident occurred at the intersection of Memory Lane and U. S. Highway 93 in Polson.

The man, later identified as Baszler, allegedly said “I know who you are, chill the f*** out.” The couple stayed on the phone with emergency dispatchers as they made their way into the Wal-Mart parking lot, where the man was chasing the couple in his vehicle.

Polson Police responded and located the suspect’s white pickup and made a traffic stop on it. The driver, identified as Baszler, indicated that the couple had stolen money from a friend. He acknowledged having a pistol, but said he never took it out of its holster.

Police searched the pickup and located two guns. They reported that Baszler smelled of alcohol, and brought him to the Lake County Jail where he was processed under suspicion of DUI. He was unable to give a sufficient sample for the Intoxilizer 9000, which records a person’s blood alcohol content. That charge was dismissed with prejudice on March 4.

Records show Baszler had a previous conviction for theft from Flathead Brewing Company in 2012. He was ordered to pay restitution of $27,359.34 and had the imposition of sentencing deferred for six years in that case.

Judge Molly Owen gave Baszler credit for having already served 58 days in jail and released him from custody.