Former Libby city councilor charged after allegedly trying to run down woman

Former Libby City Councilor Darrel “DC” Orr is facing a felony charge for allegedly trying to run down a Montana Sky employee after they had his camper towed off of company property.

Authorities charged Orr, 61, with assault with a weapon or criminal endangerment in the alternative following the May 19 incident. Orr made his initial appearance in Lincoln County Justice Court on May 27. Bail was set at $10,000.

According to court documents, the incident was in retaliation for the removal of the camper. Capt. Boyd White of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office wrote that when he arrived on scene — about 2:10 p.m. — the victim told him the camper was left on Montana Sky property the previous weekend. Employees contacted Lincoln County Towing to have it removed shortly thereafter.

Orr, who owns land adjacent to the Montana Sky property, later admitted to White that he knew the camper was left on the company’s side of the property line, court documents said.

The victim told White that Orr had called asking to speak with the owner of the company about the camper's removal. But the owner did not want to speak with him, she said.

She was on the phone with her boss while standing in the roadway in front of the company property when Orr arrived on scene, driving at a high speed, according to court documents.

He allegedly sped up as he approached the victim, forcing her to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit. He then blocked in a nearby Montana Sky truck and began cursing at the employees, court documents said. When they asked him to move his pickup, Orr spun his tires, court documents said.

In his affidavit, White noted evidence of spun tires in the gravel road. He also wrote that the victim appeared shaken from the incident.

“[She] stated that DC had tried to run her over and when she would talk about [it] I could see that she would become more emotional,” White wrote. “I do believe that [she] felt her life had been in danger.”

White spoke with a witness who recalled hearing the victim screaming and the sound of an engine revving. He arrived in time to see her jumping out of the way and Orr’s truck alongside her.

“[The witness] thought that [the victim] probably would have been hit if she had not moved,” White wrote.

About this time, Orr reported receiving a phone call from the victim’s husband. He claimed that the other man had threatened him with violence and later signed a complaint against the victim’s husband, court documents said. Another deputy spoke with the man over the phone and White recalled asking the victim to call her husband and persuade him to cut off contact with Orr.

White later took a statement from the victim’s husband. He admitted to calling Orr, but denied making threats. He acknowledged sending Orr a text calling him a derogatory name.

For his part, Orr refuted the accusations against him, telling law enforcement that he drove around the victim and “never almost hit” her, court documents said.

But another witness got in contact with investigators and corroborated the victim’s account. He saw a truck that he recognized as Orr’s traveling at “a pretty good clip” while a woman walked in the road. He saw a cloud of dust and recalled the woman saying that Orr almost hit her, according to the affidavit.

White wrote that he decided against immediately bringing up charges against Orr. Instead, he forwarded the case to the Lincoln County Attorney’s Office for review, but noted that “I do believe that Darrel Orr’s driving caused [the victim] to be in fear for her safety.”

He also requested the county attorney’s office review the complaint against the victim’s husband for possible charges.

A warrant was issued for Orr’s arrest May 25. Assault with a weapon is punishable by up to 20 years in the Montana State Prison and a fine of $50,000. Criminal endangerment carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine.