Missoula man charged with attempted homicide after Hamilton shooting
A 20-year-old Missoula man has been accused of attempted murder after allegedly shooting into at a Hamilton residence on Thursday.
Nicholas John Demchak was charged in Ravalli County Justice Court on Friday, Oct. 17 with one count of attempted deliberate homicide, one count of criminal endangerment and two counts of intimidation, all felonies. He was also charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, driving under the influence and minor in possession of an intoxicating substance.
Demchak was arrested Thursday morning at a residence on the 800 block of Grantsdale Road in Hamilton after allegedly shooting at a home in the neighborhood.
According to court documents, a woman called the Ravalli County 911 center around 7 a.m. on Oct. 17 to report a person standing outside the sliding glass door to her bedroom and that gunshots had come through the window. She also reported that the gate to her property was locked and then reported additional shots fired.
Law enforcement reportedly found Demchak in the driver's seat of a vehicle parked at the woman's front gate. An officer observed a .22 caliber rifle in the passenger seat with a scope and an open box of ammo. An open case of alcoholic beverages was on the floorboard of the passenger seat, and a bottle of champagne in the center console.
The deputy ordered Demchak to exit his vehicle and lay in a prone position on the ground, according to court documents. Demchak reportedly began yelling at law enforcement officers once he was on the ground. After being handcuffed Demchak reportedly attempted to resist, thrashing his upper body, and striking with his head, knees and feet at deputies. He apparently continued to resist being moved into a patrol car and was ultimately put in leg restraints and a spit hood.
The woman who reported the incident told law enforcement she woke up to a gunshot that morning, with glass falling onto her bed where she had been sleeping. She said she got up out of bed and proceeded to the front of the house when she heard more shots in rapid succession. She then called 911 and locked herself in a bathroom.
The woman reported that Demchak had worked for her previously doing repairs on another property and was familiar with the layout of her home.
In an initial review of the scene deputies found 10 bullet holes in the west side of the residence, with multiple broken windows and two additional bullet holes in the sliding glass door to the bedroom on the east side of the home. Fourteen casings were found in various locations outside the house, three near and on the parked vehicle Demchak was found in. Deputies noted that three other homes in the area were in the line of fire.
After his arrest Demchak was transported to the Ravalli County detention center where he reportedly made threats toward law enforcement saying multiple times that he was going to "green light" having them killed, threatened their families and told them they would be bleeding in the streets.
Upon questioning Demchak allegedly admitted that he had driven from Missoula to the woman's house, that he had consumed alcohol and fired multiple shots into the woman's home, stopping only when law enforcement arrived.
Bail was set at $500,000.
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