HELENA — David Joseph Madden of Helena has been accused of starting a fire and shooting at law enforcement officers and firefighters.
Madden has been charged with eight offenses including felony assault on a peace officer and felony criminal endangerment. He made his initial appearance in Lewis & Clark County Justice Court on Monday, March 28, 2022, before Judge Michael Swingley.
At around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's deputies were notified of a fire near the 4000 block of Deal Lane.
Court documents say a caller told dispatchers about a fire burning near a home. After a failed attempt to put out the fire, the caller tried to contact anyone inside the residence and entered the building.
According to court documents, the caller told dispatch they went upstairs to see if anyone needed help.
Madden is accused of confronting the individual with a shotgun and stating that he was the one that started the fire. The individual was able to get out of the the residence and then called 911.
Once deputies arrived, Madden also called 911 and allegedly told dispatch he had a gun and people were shooting at him and trying to kill him. He also stated he would not leave the residence and intended to defend himself from people on his property that he thought would harm him.
Deputies attempted to negotiate with Madden so that firefighters could extinguish the fire.
Madden is then accused of firing numerous shots in the direction of law enforcement officers and firefighters.
Lewis & Clark County/Helena Police SWAT was called for assistance and law enforcement reported one SWAT vehicle was struck by a bullet.
As the fire continued to burn around the property, Madden is further accused of attempting to “sneak away under the darkness of the night” with two rifles and ammunition.
An arraignment in District Court for Madden has been scheduled for April 12.
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