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Press Release

Man admits assaulting Fort Belknap law enforcement officer

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

GREAT FALLS – A Hays man admitted assault charges on Monday in federal court after he attempted to stab a Fort Belknap law enforcement officer with a pair of scissors in a confrontation during which he got shot in the shoulder, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.

Cody Michael Anderson, 24, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing. Judge Morris set sentencing for March 21, 2019. Anderson is detained.

Anderson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.

If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:

On May 7, 2018 south of Hays on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Anderson attacked a tribal officer with a pair of scissors. The officer thought the scissors was a knife because all he could see was something long and metal shining in the sunlight.

The assault occurred after tribal officers responded to a 911 call from Anderson, who had driven off a road and was stranded in Mission canyon. During the call, Anderson said the cops were taking too long and threatened to shoot a cop or tow truck he saw them. The officers treated the situation as a gun call.

At the scene, Anderson told one of the officers he should have kept going, pulled a pair of scissors from his backpack and made multiple attempts to slash or stab the officer. The officer attempted to taze Anderson and then shot him in the shoulder while trying to protect himself. Anderson remained combative after getting shot but eventually threw the scissors toward another officer and surrendered.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart is prosecuting the case, which was investigated FBI and the Fort Belknap Tribal Police.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.

 

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Contact

Clair Johnson Howard
Public Information Officer
406-247-4623

Updated December 10, 2018

Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods