BOZEMAN — A Belgrade man accused of shooting at a home on Sunday night was seen in court Tuesday morning.
Skye Wayne Arnold, 38, is facing a $30,000 bail after appearing in Gallatin County Justice Court on a felony criminal endangerment charge.
According to charging documents, on Sunday, May 10, at approximately 10:22 pm, Belgrade Police officers responded to a report of a disturbance, after a witness heard what he believed to be a gunshot.
Approximately 30 minutes later, at 10:52 pm, a Belgrade Police officer responded to another call, after a man reportedly knocked and rang the doorbell of a Belgrade home and asked another man inside if he needed any work done on his chimney. When the man responded that he didn’t need any work done, the man lifted his shirt to reveal a handgun tucked in his waistband and asked: “Are we good?”
The victim told the officer he didn’t know the man or what he wanted, but told his wife to call 911 at which time the man left. The victim also told the officer he thought the man was acting strangely and believed him to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The man was described as a white man, approximately 35-45 years old, with long hair, driving an early 2000s model GMC pickup truck.
As the officer was completing paperwork in his patrol car outside the home, he heard a vehicle approach and stop on Hawaii Ave. directly behind the victim’s residence. The officer, a certified firearms instructor, then heard what he believed to be approximately 5 or 6 gunshots fired in succession in a neighborhood described as densely populated, containing other single and multifamily residences.
The officer attempted to stop the only vehicle observed in the area at the time, a 2001 GMC pickup, driven by Arnold. The vehicle briefly stopped, but then drove away. The officer was able to conduct a high-risk traffic stop, ordering Arnold out of the vehicle at gunpoint. Arnold was taken into custody and the officer noted he believed Arnold was under the influence of alcohol and noted a strong odor of alcohol emanating from Arnold.
A search of the vehicle produced a black, semi-automatic handgun in plain view under the driver’s side seat. Several expanded rifle and pistol shell casing were found in the cab of the vehicle and an expended pistol carriage was located below the exterior windshield, near the hood.
Officers located four 9mm shell casing in the roadway on Hawaii Ave and a storage shed in the victim’s back yard appeared to have a bullet strike. Arnold’s hands were swabbed for the presence of gunshot residue after a search warrant was authorized.
Arnold’s next court appearance is set for May 29, 2020.
