Felon with weapon gets new prison term

The Daily Inter Lake

Man was involved in Kalispell shooting case

A man who prompted the Kalispell Police Department's SWAT team to fire a rare gunshot in 2001 was sentenced in federal court Thursday.

Eric Hadnott, 26, will spend 41 months in prison, followed by three years of probation, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon imposed the sentence following Hadnott's admission that he had a loaded pistol in Great Falls in 2005 during a police investigation into a planned robbery.

Police there staked out a residence in connection with allegations that a robbery of Lucky Lil's Casino was being planned. Hadnott and another man drove up to the residence during the stakeout and were arrested.

Hadnott had a Heckler & Koch .40-caliber pistol with the serial number filed away.

Possession of the weapon was illegal because Hadnott was still on parole for convictions in Flathead County for felony escape and possession of dangerous drugs.

He was the subject of a search in Kalispell in January 2001 after he escaped from a prison prerelease center.

Members of the Kalispell SWAT team and other officers followed Hadnott and another man throughout the day with information that included their felony criminal records and a tip that they had methamphetamine and semi-automatic rifles and pistols.

Officers also believed one or both of the men had been involved in a prior incident outside a bar where weapons were observed and people were threatened.

Officers trapped the truck in which Hadnott was a passenger. The driver rammed his truck into the police van while an officer ran to confront Hadnott.

Hadnott reportedly dove under the dashboard. The police officer, believing Hadnott was going for a weapon, fired into the windshield of the truck, missing Hadnott. Officers learned later that Hadnott was unarmed.

It was only the second time in 25 years that a Kalispell officer had fired a gun while on duty.

Hadnott had previously been convicted on theft and burglary charges.