Man allegedly shoots girlfriend during dispute

Scott Shindledecker, Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, Mont.
·2 min read

Sep. 3—A Kalispell man involved in a standoff with police following a domestic assault in 2020 is back in jail after he allegedly shot his girlfriend.

Steven Lloyd Personette, 36, received a three-year deferred sentence from Flathead County District Judge Robert Allison in March 2021. Personette entered an Alford plea on charge of criminal endangerment in January of this year.

But on Aug. 26, his probation officer filed a report of violation alleging Personette shot his girlfriend in the leg with a .357 handgun at a residence on Whitefish Stage Road. He called 911 and officers placed a tourniquet on her leg to stop the bleeding.

Personette allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine on Aug. 20 and previously tested positive for the drug in May, according to the probation officer's report.

The officer also reported Personette failed to show up for drug treatment and domestic violence programs, recommending he be sentenced to years in the Montana State Prison.

Personette is in the Flathead County Detention Center with bond set at $100,000. He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 16 for a revocation hearing, which will determine if he receives any prison time.

In the Feb. 12, 2020, incident, Personette pleaded guilty to striking his girlfriend with a truck he was driving.

A witness told Kalispell police she saw a woman driving a white pickup following a man, later identified as Personette, who was walking on Fourth Street.

The witness said the truck stopped, the woman slid into the passenger seat and the man got into the driver's seat and started "kicking the crap out" of the woman. The woman then got out of the truck and ran.

The witness said she watched as the man accelerated and drove the truck toward the woman in an attempt to run her over. The witness said she saw the truck strike the woman.

According to Kalispell police, Personette was taken into custody Feb. 12 at a mobile home park off Whitefish Stage Road following a standoff with law enforcement that lasted several hours.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 406-758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.