Local bar owner accused of assaulting woman in own establishment

A local bar owner is accused of assaulting a woman during a recent incident inside his own establishment.

Richard Thomas Tuin, 40, is facing one felony county of assault following a Jan. 6 incident at the Pastime Bar on Mineral Avenue in Libby. Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield determined there was enough evidence at a Jan. 6 hearing for the case to proceed.

According to a probable cause statement, Libby Police officer Don Luthey was dispatched to the bar at 1:47 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6, after a woman was struck in the leg with a bar stool. She said her leg was injured after Tuin allegedly threw a bar stool at her.

When Luthey spoke with the alleged victim, she said she was in the bar when Tuin become heavily intoxicated and began, “acting weird” with her as Tuin was “hitting on” one of her male friends. She said she was standing on the opposite end of the bar from Tuin when he allegedly picked up a bar stool, threw it at her and struck her in the right leg.

The woman said she left the bar with two friends and called police. According to Luthey’s statement, several witnesses at the scene agreed with the alleged victim’s statements.

When Luthey spoke to Tuin, he said he didn’t throw the bar stool at her and refused to allow the officer to review surveillance footage from inside the bar.

Luthey described the stool as a heavy wrought iron type bar stool with a high back. He estimated the weight of the stool at more than 15 pounds.

Luthey then spoke to the woman and saw that her right leg was bleeding. He also reported that when Tuin was booked into the Lincoln County Detention Center, his blood alcohol content was 0.172, more than twice the legal limit.

Luthey also saw the alleged victim at the hospital and reported seeing a large, bleeding cut on the outside of her right leg, just below her knee. The cut was about three inches in diameter and one-half inch raised with dark bruising.

Tuin is free after posting $20,000 bail. His terms of release dictate he may not leave the state without written permission from the court or a pretrial supervision officer. He is only allowed to be in his bar for work and may not be in other establishments where alcohol is served.

Tuin is also not allowed to consume or possess alcohol or use illegal drugs. He must submit to drug and alcohol testing.

A conviction on the charge could lead to a maximum prison term of 20 years in the Montana State Prison.