Browning man admits assault with a gun on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of firing a gun into an occupied house during a dispute admitted to an assault crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Gerald Anthony Bullchild, 47, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Bullchild faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Feb. 29, 2024. Bullchild was released on conditions pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that on March 28, 2021, Bullchild drove to the home of a former girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe, to speak with their minor child. When the child refused to go with Bullchild, Bullchild started yelling and honking at Jane Doe. Jane Doe went outside to speak with Bullchild, where he continued yelling and called her profane names. Bullchild left and returned later, yelling and honking. Jane Doe refused to leave the home and Bullchild continued yelling and honking. Finally, as Bullchild started to leave, he fired a pistol round into Jane Doe’s living room. The bullet traveled through the front wall of the house and lodged in the couch, where it bumped against the leg of a child on the couch.  Law enforcement recovered a spent .45-caliber shell casing and an empty .45-caliber magazine from the vehicle. The round recovered from the couch was a .45-caliber bullet.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

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