NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, October 04, 2006

CONTACT: Kurt Alme
Assistant U.S. Attorney for the
District of Montana
(406) 247-4669

SEASON HOPE EAGLEMAN PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT

Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls on October 3, 2006, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, SEASON HOPE EAGLEMAN, a 21-year-old resident of Poplar, pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. Sentencing is set for January 25, 2007. She is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On April 2, 2006, a Fort Peck Law Enforcement officer was dispatched to a residence in Poplar to investigate a report that a female (later identified as EAGLEMAN) had broken out a window at the residence. When the officer arrived at the residence, EAGLEMAN had left, but was located by the officer a short time later.

EAGLEMAN advised the officer that she had been beaten up by the owner of the residence. The officer transported EAGLEMAN back to the residence.

The officer and another officer were informed by the owner of the residence that EAGLEMAN had attacked her and broken out windows in her bathroom and rear bedroom. While the officers were attempting to locate the object EAGLEMAN had used to break the windows, EAGLEMAN, who was seated in the back seat of the officer's patrol car, kicked out the driver's side rear window. The officer approached his car and instructed EAGLEMAN to get out of the vehicle. She responded with a derogatory comment and a threat to have the officer fired.

The first officer asked the other officer to handcuff EAGLEMAN. When the officer handcuffed her, EAGLEMAN kicked the first officer, while swearing at and threatening him. As the officer led EAGLEMAN to his patrol car, she was kicking and pulling away. The first officer approached her and instructed her to stop resisting. At that point, the officer saw that EAGLEMAN had a gun in her hand with her finger on the trigger pointed at him. As EAGLEMAN pulled the trigger, the officer grabbed the gun and pushed it down. The hammer hit the palm of the officer's hand. The officer then took the pistol from EAGLEMAN. EAGLEMAN had taken the pistol from the other officer.

EAGLEMAN was then transported to the detention center. When she arrived at the detention center, she stated that she should have shot the cop.

EAGLEMAN faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release for assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition, EAGLEMAN faces the possibility of an additional mandatory 10 year imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, for the use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fort Peck Law Enforcement.