Libby man accused of threatening woman with gun

A Libby man - 53-year-old William M. Boaz -  is facing felony charges of assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment, and assault of a family member after pulling a gun when his wife told him that she wanted a divorce.

Boaz, who is being represented by local attorney Ann German, pleaded not guilty to the offenses Feb. 18 in Lincoln County District Court. County attorney Marcia Boris is prosecuting the case. His next scheduled court hearing is March 17.

According to court documents, on Jan. 30, a woman approached Libby Police about the alleged incident and that she had petitioned for a protection order. Five days previously, she sat down with Boaz and told him that she wanted a divorce after the two had talked about how the relationship wasn’t working or healthy.

The woman told police that Boaz became irritable during the conversation about the divorce and became hostile. According to court documents, he jumped up from his seat, yelling and screaming, and throwing things at her, including a full can of beer, shoes, dog toys and animal antlers. One thing struck her, she said. Boaz then went to his gun safe in the same room as the dining table and began pulling things out of it, including clips, magazines, holsters, and gun.

Court documents say that Boaz pulled a black handgun out of the safe, inserted a magazine and racked the slide to load it. The woman told authorities Boaz walked toward her waving the gun, yelling that she would not divorce him and he would die before he let that happen.

Boaz allegedly then went upstairs into the bedroom and slammed the door. Boaz then came back out and yelled at her for not coming up after him while he continued to wave the gun before going back into the room.

The woman said she began cleaning things up and debated arming herself but was afraid Boaz would escalate things if he saw a gun. She then retreated to the kitchen, where she then heard a loud noise from upstairs that she assumed was a gunshot. 

A friend texting the woman told her to get out of the house. The woman then went to her father’s house and had him close the blinds, for fear of getting shot at by Boaz if she was seen there. She then hid on the kitchen floor.

Boaz faces a total $101,000 in fines and 30 years in the Montana State Prison and one year in the county jail.