Troy man accused of attacking police chief faces more charges

A Troy man with a pending felony charge for attacking a police chief last year is locked up in the Lincoln County Detention Center after he was accused of breaking into two residences last month.

Jonathan Joseph Peterson, 34, pleaded not guilty on April 10 to felony burglary and two misdemeanors, criminal mischief and criminal trespass.

Peterson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in the Montana State Prison if convicted of the burglary charge. His next court hearing is July 10.

According to the narrative by arresting Troy Police Officer Travis Miller, he was called to a South First Street residence at 8:35 p.m. on March 15. The alleged victim said her brother, Peterson, broke into her house, went into her bedroom and took her gun while she was across the street at a restaurant.

She reported getting the gun out of his possession and chasing him out of the house with a 2x4 board. The woman’s daughter told Miller she saw Peterson walk up the driveway, enter the home, get the gun and go out on the steps to load it. The young girl cried while telling the officer she was afraid Peterson would return to the home.

The alleged victim said Peterson also kicked in the door of a neighbor and kicked her car. During law enforcement’s attempts to find Peterson they learned he allegedly tried to start a fight with one of the store employees.

Miller wrote in his report that he was headed back to the station when he saw a man matching Peterson’s description. The defendant initially tried to evade the officer, but he soon spoke with Miller. He reportedly told Miller his head hurt and he was looking for a place to sleep for the night.

Miller said Peterson walked away, but he quickly caught up to him and that’s when Peterson showed the officer blood on his hand that came from his head. He said his sister shot him with a .22 caliber weapon. Miller saw a cut on Peterson’s head and asked him to walk back to the patrol car so he could bandage the wound.

Peterson asked the officer for a few dollars so he could buy a beer, then asked him to walk with him to the store and buy him a beer before he took him into custody. Peterson admitted he had been drinking and seemed very drunk.

Peterson denied breaking into the homes and said his sister shot him three times with the .22. He also said she hit him in the head with a board before he ran. When they arrived at the patrol car, Peterson said he wouldn’t be arrested in front of the house. Miller said the defendant walked back to the corner where he told him to stand so he could put gloves on before handcuffing the man.

Peterson then gave in to the arrest.

The following day, March 26, Miller spoke to the neighbor who said Peterson kicked in her front door and broke the lock. She said she was in the bathroom and that Peterson had something in his hand, but she couldn’t tell what it was. She thought he was going to assault her and she screamed. Peterson then left and she called his sister to let her know what was happening.

Miller then spoke to Peterson’s sister for a followup interview. She said she grabbed the gun from him before he could react. She said she placed the gun on the deck, grabbed the board, chased him out of the yard. She also said she hit him with the board.

Peterson’s case in which he is accused of attacking Troy Police Chief Katie Davis in January 2022 is pending. Late last year, two doctors at the Montana State Hospital determined Peterson was fit to proceed with his case.

In the January 2022 incident, police officers in Troy began looking for Peterson after a resident complained he was pounding on their door, according to court documents. In an affidavit, Troy Police officer Michael Miller recounted the ensuing pursuit, which led authorities along First Street, through a home, a backyard and onto Riverside Avenue.

Officers attempted several times to bring Peterson down using Tasers with little success, according to court documents.

As they attempted to corral Peterson, he allegedly charged Davis and grappled with her. Miller wrote that he struck Peterson, believing he was reaching for an item on Davis’ belt. The confrontation left Davis with a swollen and bleeding lip, court documents said. When they called for an ambulance crew to check on Peterson, he declined to go to a local medical center. According to Miller’s account, Peterson said the last time he had gone to the facility “a surgeon cut his throat and placed purple circles on his chest.”

Peterson has faced legal trouble in the past. In 2015, he was charged with violating an order of protection after he punched out the window of a vehicle occupied by his ex-wife. Court records show he violated the order two other times in 2014.

Peterson pleaded guilty in 2015 and received a 5-year suspended sentence. According to court documents, Peterson completed a 40 hours of counseling in March 2017.