Retired Kalispell cop charged in drunken crash involving county officer

Mar. 24—A former Kalispell Police Department officer has been charged with DUI and criminal endangerment after a collision last fall with an off-duty Flathead County Sheriff's Office sergeant who was driving a county-owned vehicle.

Anthony John McDonnell, 50, of Columbia Falls, is facing one count of felony endangerment and a misdemeanor count of aggravated driving under the influence. Court documents indicate McDonnell's blood alcohol level was 0.259 at the time of the crash, more than three times the legal limit of .08.

McDonnell was issued a summons to appear at the Flathead County Justice Center for booking and arraignment at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 22. He is not currently in custody. McDonnell retired from the force in 2015.

The Sheriff's Office sergeant was identified as Logan Shawback. He is a 10-year veteran of the department. His blood alcohol level was .07, just under the legal limit of .08.

According to Sheriff Brian Heino, Shawback was demoted from running the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force and was put on administrative leave without pay for five days. Shawback was also a member of the SWAT team and a field training officer before his demotion.

Heino said the county vehicle was totaled in the crash and Shawback's insurance company has paid to replace the county vehicle he was driving at the time of the accident.

Shawback has since returned to the force, working as a patrol officer.

"The hardest part for me is the poor decision-making, it's very disappointing," Heino said. "Logan has a strong work ethic and has done strong work for the department over the years."

Heino also shared a disciplinary letter to Shawback.

"My overall concern is the use of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. I can't ignore that your service at the drug task force was instrumental in its functions and I know this change will dramatically affect its operations.

"That being said I can't tolerate the use of work vehicles while under the influence. The roles we all play as we rise further in an organization require us to not expect to receive privilege, but to understand we are the ones to be examples."

Heino also wrote Shawback could reapply for positions in one year, but further disciplinary action could result in loss of rank and termination.

DUE TO the circumstances and the relationships of those involved in the incident, Montana Assistant Attorney General Chad G. Parker was assigned as a Special Deputy Flathead County Attorney to prosecute the case.

Kalispell City Attorney Charles Harball confirmed his office referred the case to the state because he and Kalispell Police officers had worked with McDonnell in the past.

Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner said he learned of the accident about a month after it occurred.

"I won't speculate on the delay of learning about the incident, but there needs to be better communication," Ahner said. "We looked at how it was investigated and how it was referred to other agencies for investigation and it appears it was handled appropriately.

"It helps the public have faith that everything was done in a transparent manner," Ahner said.

Ahner said Kalispell Police officers first investigated, then Montana Highway Patrol troopers and the Whitefish Police Department.

Court documents indicate McDonnell, Shawback and Brady Gray, an off-duty Kalispell Police officer, were all at Sunrift Brewery in Kalispell late on the evening of Sunday, Nov. 29.

Gray said she went to the brewery to meet a friend and the friend was sitting with McDonnell when she arrived.

Heino reported Shawback was with his wife and children, who were at the brewery for a family gathering related to a wedding.

Later, at about 10:47 p.m. Sunday, several 911 calls were made about a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of Farm to Market Road and Mountain Vista Way in Kalispell.

A Kalispell Police officer arrived at the scene at about 10:54 p.m. and saw a dark gray Dodge Ram pickup truck and a gray Chrysler 300 sedan in a ditch on the east side of Farm to Market Road. Both were heavily damaged.

According to the charging document, Shawback approached the officer and told him the driver of the truck needed medical attention.

Other officers from the Kalispell Police Department, Montana Highway Patrol and county Sheriff's Office arrived soon after and learned the driver of the truck, McDonnell, was a retired Kalispell police officer. One Kalispell officer reported he and city officers knew McDonnell and said they would remove themselves from the investigation, according to the charging document.

Two other Kalispell officers gathered evidence and then went to a hospital to request a blood sample from McDonnell. Another officer at the accident scene asked Gray where they had been before the crash.

Gray said she, Shawback and McDonnell were at the brewery for three hours immediately prior to the crash. Gray said McDonnell was extremely intoxicated before leaving the brewery, describing him as being "trashed."

According to the first Kalispell police officer on the scene, Shawback didn't mention he knew McDonnell.

ACCORDING TO the charging document, Gray said McDonnell was already drunk when she arrived and he had three of four more drinks before the bartender said he couldn't drink any more alcohol.

Gray reported McDonnell was extremely drunk when they left the brewery. She said she and Shawback walked to the parking lot and didn't pay attention to the vehicle McDonnell was driving.

Gray said soon after everyone had left the brewery, Shawback called her to report he had been in a crash. Gray then drove to the crash scene. She said Shawback said he didn't know who had hit him, but only realized it was McDonnell after Gray told him and he saw McDonnell being removed from the truck.

Shawback told two Kalispell officers he was off-duty, driving a county vehicle, according to the charging document. Shawback then described the crash, indicating he was going home, preparing to turn onto Mountain Vista Way, when he observed a vehicle behind him, approaching at a high rate of speed. Shawback indicated he sped up to make the turn and avoid being rear-ended.

Shawback then said McDonnell's vehicle came up behind him fast and then crashed into him. The estimated speed of McDonnell's Ram truck was near the posted speed limit of 50 mph.

COURT RECORDS indicated further investigation of the crash scene and the other evidence indicated that as McDonnell drove his truck through the intersection, he struck the passenger side of the Chrysler Shawback was driving, near the tail light, prior to reaching Mountain Vista Way. The truck pushed the Chrysler, causing it to turn counterclockwise and into a slide. The truck remained in contact with the Chrysler, moving down the right side of the vehicle, causing substantial damage to the body of the vehicle.

The truck then climbed upward and rolled over the front passenger corner of the Chrysler, driving over the top of the vehicle.

Shawback was inside the Chrysler as McDonnell drove over the top of the vehicle with his Ram pickup. After separating from the Chrysler, McDonnell struck a light pole with the passenger side of the pickup, knocking the pole down. The truck then rolled over, crushing portions of the roof and windshield, deploying the airbags, and coming to a final rest on its wheels in the ditch.

Just prior to coming to final rest, the Chrysler struck the downed light pole with the left side of its front bumper.

HEINO SAID McDonnell lived on Farm to Market Road at the time and was headed home before the wreck. He also said Shawback was the only person in the car because his family had driven another vehicle to and from the brewery.

Due to the injuries McDonnell sustained in the crash, he was taken away from the scene without delay, rendering him unavailable to provide a statement at the scene.

However, at the hospital officers reported McDonnell consented to a blood draw. Analysis of McDonnell's blood sample, performed by the Montana Department of Justice, Montana State Crime Lab Toxicology

Division, indicated that McDonnell's blood alcohol concentration was 0.259.

Kalispell Police Department Administrative Capt. Tim Falkner said Gray has been on the job for about 2 1/2 years. He said she hasn't been disciplined as part of the investigation and didn't know if an effort had been made to prevent McDonnell from driving before he left the brewery.

Scott Shindledecker may be reached at [email protected] or at 406-758-4441.

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