Missoula, Montana



From the Missoula Missoulian of June 26, 2004

Shooting victim charged with attack on girlfriend



Last Sunday morning, Chad Hill's girlfriend shot him in the stomach, then frantically called police to report what she'd done.



By late Thursday, Justice of the Peace Karen Orzech had signed a $250,000 warrant for Hill's arrest on several counts of assault and child endangerment - and it was clearly the injured Hill who was in trouble over the incident.



As of Friday afternoon, Hill, 21, was listed in good condition at St. Patrick Hospital, where he has been since the early morning shooting June 20. Police had not yet taken him into custody.



A complaint and affidavit supporting the arrest warrant outline the charges against Hill: felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of partner assault, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.



Hill and his girlfriend, Ashley New, had been dating about four months when she arrived at the hospital June 14, claiming to have been beaten outside Stockman's Bar, the affidavit said. She had several facial fractures, a concussion, two black eyes, scrapes and bruises.



New said she didn't know who attacked her, but the affidavit said an officer who responded became suspicious almost immediately, because it appeared New had been choked and punched by someone standing in front of her - and the injuries were so serious that whoever caused them meant to hurt her. The officer tried to follow up later, but no one would answer the door at New's apartment at 2050 S. 14th St. W.



Five days later, New called 9-1-1 from a neighbor's house to say she'd shot Hill.



The argument Sunday morning allegedly started after a night of drinking, the affidavit said. New tried to take a shower, and Hill got angry. He said he "was going to break the other side of her face" and started hitting and kicking her and dragging her around by the hair.



Then, the affidavit said, Hill took a .45 caliber gun from a dresser drawer, set it on the corner of a bed and said he'd kill New if she didn't get it first. She grabbed the gun and backed out of the room. Hill then got two knives from the kitchen and threatened to kill both New and her 3-year-old son. New shot Hill the third time he moved toward the little boy's door.



"Chad scared me," the boy reportedly told officers later. "Chad opened the door and Mommy shot Chad. Š My mom got hurt."



Hill also has a pending case in state District Court, on charges that he beat his previous girlfriend and hurt his mother as she tried to protect her.