Fourth of July assault lessened to misdemeanor

After further investigation by the Troy Police Department, the felonious charges of child assault have been lessened to a misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct on Erik McQueen, 28, of Kalispell.

The original police report stated that they were investigating a possible child abduction case at Roosevelt Park during Troy’s Fourth of July celebration. After interviewing McQueen and all the witnesses that could be found, that was decided not to be the case.

Instead, McQueen and Troy Chief of Police Robert McLeod agree that the initial report was blown out of proportion. McQueen, celebrating Independence Day with his cousin and the cousin’s family, said it was simple case of mistaken identity.

“All the kids were playing in the same area,” he said. “I mistook one of them for my cousin’s kid.”

McQueen was playing and plastic-sword fighting with the kids, when one or more kids or parents felt uncomfortable because they did not know McQueen.

The initial report was a scary one for not only the parents, but also McLeod, who thought he was dealing with something sinister and not a mix-up.

“I’m glad it turned out the way it did,” McLeod said. “But we have to treat a case like this seriously when we get a call like child-abduction.”

The initial report was embarrassing for McQueen, who says he’d never harm a child, and he would like the case to quietly resolve.