Larry Kline
Havre Daily News
lkline@havredailynews.com
A Hill County sheriff's deputy was injured in a scuffle Sunday evening while investigating a complaint about suspicious activity at a house, Hill County Sheriff Greg Szudera said Monday.
Deputy Dottie Dwyer responded to a call at 7:38 p.m. Sunday in the 2100 block of Rich Street West and confronted two 19-year-old males who were inside the residence. She was attempting to arrest both men on several charges when one of them - Jeffrey Sprinkle - allegedly attacked her, Szudera said.
Dwyer was able to fight off her attacker using pepper spray, Szudera said, and officers from the Havre Police Department and Montana Highway Patrol were called for backup. Sprinkle's father, Jonathan Sprinkle, was present and also assisted Dwyer, Szudera said.
The sheriff said Jonathan Sprinkle had been searching for his son throughout the day and had located Jeffrey Sprinkle and Colt Billy at the residence, which is the home of a family friend. The owners were out of town, Szudera said.
Dwyer had some pain in a thumb and finger and suffered some minor cuts, Undersheriff Don Brostrom said. She was treated at Northern Montana Hospital and released. Brostrom added that he didn't think Dwyer would miss any work.
Jeffrey Sprinkle was arrested on charges of assault on a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, burglary, theft and criminal mischief. The other man, Colt Billy, was arrested on charges of burglary and obstructing justice, the sheriff said.
Sprinkle was taken to the behavioral health unit at Northern Montana Hospital. Hospital spokeswoman Kathie Newell said Monday that Sprinkle was not listed as a patient. Billy was taken to the Hill County Detention Center.
Szudera said the men were accused of damaging an inside sprinkler system in the home, damaging a wall, and stealing liquor, beer and prescribed medication.
