Libby man arrested after allegedly drawing, firing gun at campgrounds

A Libby man who sent campers at Warland Creek Campground scrambling after allegedly wandering from site to site with a gun while drunk faces multiple charges in Lincoln County District Court.

Prosecutors charged Jared Lang Sonju, 34, with five counts of assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment, assault and carrying a concealed weapon while intoxicated following his July 3 arrest. He pleaded not guilty at his Aug. 23 arraignment.

Authorities arrived at the campground in the early morning hours after receiving a report of an intoxicated individual shooting a firearm at the popular campground. In an affidavit, Deputy Derek Breiland of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office recounted speaking with a witness upon his arrival at a nearby marina. The witness told Breiland that a man had moved between campsites, picking fights and soliciting drugs before escalating to punching another man in the face twice.

The witness said that man pulled out a firearm after getting angry with another group of campers. He waved it back and forth, scattering the frightened campers. He fired the gun not long after, according to the witness.

The witness identified Sonju as the assailant and gave deputies directions to his campsite. Breiland, along with deputies Ben Fisher and James Derryberry, arrived to find him sleeping on the couch of his trailer. Awakening Sonju, Breiland recalled asking him to step outside with his hands up and confirm whether or not he was armed.

Sonju had a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm on his right hip with a full magazine in the pocket of his pants, court documents said. Breiland described the firearm as “concealed.”

Breiland wrote that he and his fellow deputies had probable cause to place Sonju under arrest, but when they moved to handcuff him, the 34-year-old began yelling obscenities and demanding that the lawmen shoot him.

“Sonju was highly intoxicated and could barely stand up on his own,” Breiland wrote.

Eventually, Sonju gave up the struggle, according to court documents, but not before a deputy drew a Taser on him.

Fisher and Derryberry later found a spent 9mm casing that matched Sonju’s ammunition. It, the gun and magazines were seized as evidence, according to court documents.

Deputies took Sonju to the Lincoln County Detention Center where he was held on a $100,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled for Nov. 1 with a pretrial conference set for Nov. 29. Were the case to go to trial, it would begin Jan. 11.

Assault with a weapon is punishable by up to 20 years with the Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine. Criminal endangerment carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine.

Assault and carrying a concealed weapon while intoxicated both come with fines of up to $500 and six months imprisonment.