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Alleged Capitol Rioter On House Arrest After Killing Mountain Lion

A Colorado man accused of taking part in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is now on house arrest after he violated the terms of his pretrial release by shooting a mountain lion.

Patrick Montgomery, 48, was initially arrested in Littleton, Colorado, in January. He was indicted on 10 counts, including assaulting a police officer, illegally entering the Capitol and engaging in violence. He was released and permitted to return to Colorado under several conditions, including that he not possess any firearms.

Federal prosecutors learned earlier this month that Montgomery violated those terms on March 31, when he shot and killed a mountain lion in a park south of Denver with a .357-caliber handgun. Montgomery also broke state laws by possessing the firearm; he is prohibited from doing so because of a 1996 felony robbery conviction.

Montgomery notified a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer on the day he shot the animal. The officer examined the carcass and found a bullet hole consistent with the handgun, according to a motion filed by federal prosecutors to revoke his pretrial release.

It’s not the first time he’s broken the law while on release. On Jan. 25, eight days after he was arrested for his suspected role in the riot, he admitted to a CPW officer that he had knocked a bobcat from a tree with a slingshot and allowed his dogs to kill it. Neither method is legal in Colorado. He was charged with two offenses and has a hearing scheduled for May 19 in that case.

“Given that Montgomery has repeatedly and flagrantly violated both state and federal law while on pre-trial release in this case — including by possessing and using a firearm — the Government respectfully requests that the Court revoke his release pending trial,” prosecutors said in the motion.

Montgomery told Colorado Parks and Wildlife that he shot a mountain lion with a handgun, a direct violation of his terms of pretrial release. (Photo: CPW)
Montgomery told Colorado Parks and Wildlife that he shot a mountain lion with a handgun, a direct violation of his terms of pretrial release. (Photo: CPW)

Prosecutors also noted that Montgomery was likely aware of Colorado hunting regulations. He has said he’s a professional hunting guide and runs a business that offers hunting services.

“Montgomery has no respect for the Court’s orders, just like he had no respect for law enforcement at the Capitol on January 6,” the prosecutor’s motion said. “Instead of peacefully protesting, he tried to grab a Metropolitan Police Department officer’s baton, wrestled him to the ground for it, and then kicked the officer in the chest while wearing a boot. After the officer regained control of his baton, Montgomery stood up, and held up his two middle fingers at the officer.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office initially said Montgomery would be detained and had asked him to turn himself in to authorities by Monday. However, a motion filed Friday said the office had reached an agreement with Montgomery’s defense to keep him from incarceration. His new proposed pretrial conditions include 24/7 house arrest and GPS monitoring in addition to his previous terms.

He is scheduled to appear on July 28 for a status hearing on his indictment in connection with the Capitol riot. He pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.