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Libby man jailed on accusations of assaulting girlfriend

by SCOTT SHINDLEDECKER
The Western News | August 13, 2024 7:00 AM

A Libby man with multiple convictions for assault is facing new charges after a recent incident.

Erik Lynn McQueen, 40, is facing a felony charge of partner or family member assault and a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief following an incident earlier this month at a Frazey Loop residence.

According to a probable cause statement by county deputy Derek Breiland, he was called to the Southside Casino at about 6:47 p.m. Aug. 1. There he spoke to a 44-year-old woman who said McQueen got mad, jumped on the hood of her car and kicked in the windshield at 215 Frazey Loop. She told Breiland she drove to the casino to get away from McQueen.

She also said she and the accused had dated for two years.

Breiland reported the windshield was completely shattered with glass all over the vehicle’s interior, leaving it inoperable. The officer said shoe prints on the hood matched McQueen’s and the shoes were covered in blood.

The alleged victim said McQueen got mad because she asked one of his friends to look at her vehicle. 

When deputy Breiland spoke to McQueen, he saw fresh cuts and blood on his legs. McQueen did not speak to the officer at the time and was arrested.

After arriving at the county jail, McQueen told the officer the alleged victim was not being truthful and she asked him to remove the windshield because it was already partially broken. Breiland reported the windshield left the vehicle in a condition that it couldn’t be driven and glass was shattered inside the car. 

He also reported an overwhelming odor of alcohol coming from McQueen during their conversation. Breiland asked McQueen to give a breath sample, which he allegedly refused.

Breiland reported McQueen had two partner or family member assault convictions in 2006 and 2012 and criminal mischief convictions in 2006 and 2011.

According to a 2011 Daily Inter Lake story, McQueen was arrested for allegedly kicking in the door of a neighbor’s apartment and demanding the residents turn their television’s volume down.

According to court documents, Kalispell Police Department officers responded to Glenwood Drive after a report of a burglary. When they arrived, three men told them that McQueen, their neighbor, had kicked in the front door of their apartment and threatened to beat them up “if they did not turn down the volume of their television.”

Two of the men picked up shotguns and McQueen left the apartment, according to court documents.

McQueen allegedly refused to come to the door when officers attempted to contact him. After being granted a warrant, officers entered the residence and took him into custody “after being forced to Tase him several times because he refused to comply with arrest instructions,” according to court documents.

As he was being lifted from the floor, he allegedly spit in the face of one of the officers.

In the most recent incident, McQueen is being held on held on $75,000 bail in the Lincoln County Detention Center. Court documents indicate he is to appear in justice court Aug. 14 for a preliminary hearing.

A conviction for partner or family member assault may result in a 5-year prison term. A conviction for criminal mischief may result in a 6-month term in the county jail.