By Josh Margolis
HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – A man found guilty of felony assault with a weapon for causing an armed standoff with authorities in July 2019 was sentenced to 10 years in the Montana State Prison system, with none suspended, on Wednesday.
Judge Kaydee Snipes-Ruiz found Thompson St. Pierre guilty of felony assault with a weapon and misdemeanor resisting arrest in Hill County District Court after a brief trial in January.
St. Pierre was also sentenced to six months in the Hill County Detention Center for the resisting arrest charge, but Judge Snipes-Ruiz ruled he has already served that sentence, since he has been in the Detention Center since July.
He was also designated as a persistent felony offender, as this was his third violent felony conviction.
The prosecution had asked for St. Pierre to serve 15 years with five suspended, while the defense was requesting five years, all suspended.
The argument from the prosecution for the lengthy sentence included that he caused an hours long standoff, threatened two officers, showed no remorse and would be a “danger to community and law enforcement” if he was to be let off with a deferred or suspended sentence.
The defense asked for five years, all suspended, arguing that two of the previous felonies were when he was 21 years or younger, and that St. Pierre’s brain wasn’t fully developed at the time. They also argued that he shouldn’t be harshly punished because he is suffering from mental illness, that he wasn’t the driver in the vehicle pursuit, that he was off his medication at the time of the incident and that he did not cause bodily injury to anyone during the standoff.
St. Pierre also spoke before his sentence was handed down. St. Pierre said he was anxious and has post traumatic stress disorder from the incident. He admitted he shouldn’t have fled from authorities, but that he was fearing for his life.
Just before the sentence was handed down, Judge Snipes-Ruiz noted that although St. Pierre was never found to be holding a gun, he had been proven to be wielding an object that appeared to be a gun due to its dark handle and shine. She noted that he had pointed the object at the officers and refused to drop it when asked. Lastly, she noted the phrase the defendant was found to have shouted at the officers, “Do you want to go home tonight?” was a threat.
At the time of the standoff, St. Pierre had a felony warrant out for his arrest. He was a passenger in the vehicle in a pursuit that began on the Rocky Boy Reservation and continued elsewhere in Hill County.
After the driver of the vehicle was taken into custody, St. Pierre continued to flee on foot.
Authorities spotted St. Pierre in dense brush holding what they believed to be a revolver. A lengthy standoff ensued, and authorities deployed drones and gas at various points to try and get St. Pierre into custody. St. Pierre was eventually subdued and arrested after allegedly grabbing the rifle of a Great Falls High Risk Unit officer.
Judge Snipes-Ruiz says she will leave it up to the Department of Corrections as to when and if St. Pierre will be eligible for parole.
St. Pierre also faces a revocation of his federal probation, which could lead to an additional sentence of 30 to 37 months. It is not clear if that would be run concurrently to the 10 year sentence.
