Lame Deer man sentenced to prison for shooting woman in the head

BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man who admitted shooting a woman in the head while drinking with friends at his residence on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Jolson Hubert Bearcomesout, 39, pleaded guilty on March 17 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said that on June 1, 2019, Bearcomesout, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, and others were at Bearcomesout’s house and drinking. By evening, the group was in Bearcomesout’s bedroom, where they drank and danced. Bearcomesout took a pistol that was on the bed, pointed it at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger.

Bearcomesout took the pistol and another firearm and fled. He was arrested in Forsyth. In an interview with law enforcement, Bearcomesout said he didn’t know there was a bullet in the chamber and that he was “just fooling around.”

The victim was treated for multiple injuries.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI.

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