Wanted man charged with assault after allegedly beating man with a gun
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SWAN VALLEY — A 35-year-old Irwin man has been charged with felonies for allegedly pistol-whipping another man with a gun.
EastIdahoNews.com reported on Matthew Lee Roberson when the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office sent out an alert looking for him on Jan. 27. Roberson was believed to be armed and dangerous and East Idaho Crime Stoppers offered a reward.
Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputies were eventually able to contact Roberson Tuesday morning at a residence in Swan Valley and take him into custody.
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Court documents filed by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reveal what happened on Jan. 26. A deputy was dispatched to an assault call at a bar near the 3400 block of Swan Valley Highway. There had been an altercation where a gun and bat were used.
The victim told a deputy that Roberson came to an RV park and went to his neighbor’s trailer. He was not allowed to be on the property due to a no-contact order and being trespassed from the property, court documents said. The victim said he stepped out of his trailer and told Roberson to leave. The victim explained that they got into an argument, and Roberson pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him.
The victim said Roberson cocked the gun and then pointed it at his legs and feet and pulled the trigger but the gun failed to fire. Roberson then left to go to a bar where the victim knew a woman that worked there. Due to previous threats and violence towards her, the victim and his neighbor drove to where Roberson had gone. They witnessed the woman and Roberson were in a heated argument.
In documents, the victim brought a bat with him but left it outside the bar. He confronted Roberson again, and at this time, Roberson again pulled the gun out and pointed it at the victim’s chest and again pulled the trigger, but the gun failed to fire.
The victim said Roberson began “pistol whipping him” in the head numerous times and he almost lost consciousness.
During the pistol whippings, the bottom of the magazine was broken off. The magazine sprung and bullets fell out of the gun.
The woman, the victim and Roberson were all fighting. The woman was able to “wrestle the gun” away from Roberson but her hand was injured during it, court documents said.
The woman admitted to hitting Roberson with the gun. The fight made its way to the back door of the bar where Roberson continued to hit the victim.
The victim was able to get the bat and the neighbor told the deputy he thought Roberson was hit in the arm with the bat but was unsure.
Roberson fled towards a property he was staying at. An Idaho State Police trooper arrived on the scene and searched the area with the deputy but could not find Roberson.
After Roberson’s Tuesday arrest, he was charged with felony aggravated battery and two felony counts of aggravated assault. He appeared in court in Bonneville County on Wednesday and was given a $150,000 bond. He was issued a no-contact order toward the victim.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. at the Bonneville County courthouse.