The man who fired shots into a vehicle outside Joe Blogz in Lakeside is convicted of Criminal Endangerment, but the jury was unable to reach a decision on the Attempted Deliberate Homicide Charge. That forced District Judge Heidi Ulbrecht to declare a mistrial on that charge for 27-year old Luke Elliot Rutledge of Kalispell.
Prosecution was handled by Deputy County Attorney Ashley Frechette and Defense by Liam Gallagher.
It was that Friday night in September 2023 Deputies were called to Lakeside to investigate shots being fired at Joe Blogz. When they arrived, they found the Ruteledge pinned to the ground by a patron of the Short Branch Bar across the street.
Deputies learned that the shooter, now known to be Rutledge, had fired several rounds at a man sitting in his vehicle in the bar’s parking lot. They said the man was using his cell phone when the shots rang-out.
He later told deputies Rutledge fired at his vehicle from about 6-feet away. The vehicle sustained at least 4-bullet indentations on the driver’s side.
This isn’t the end for Rutlege. County Attorney Travis Ahner tells us they plan to re-charge him with Attempted Deliberate Homicide.
Rutledge is being held in the Flathead county Detention Center with bail is set at $200,000.
