Idaho fire crew member from Emmett charged with felony assault in Montana

An Idaho fire crew member was charged Thursday with three felony assault charges after allegedly threatening people with a knife at Lost Trail Hot Springs, near Sula, Montana.

Joseph Lyne Avalos, 45, of Emmett, Idaho, appeared in Ravalli County Justice Court on the felony charges and misdemeanor counts of assault and resisting arrest.

Avalos was arrested Wednesday after being tased and handcuffed when he refused commands to exit his vehicle by the first law enforcement officer to arrive on the scene. He was sitting on the ground and yelling profanities when backup arrived, according to the charging affidavit.

The fire crew boss told an officer that he and another man were dealing with Avalos after he had driven into Darby and drank too much. The man said the two attempted to give him a ride back to the hot springs, but he refused.

Avalos drove his truck back to the hot springs while the men followed.

Once back at the hotel, Avalos stayed in his truck to call his wife. He then turned up his music extremely loud. When the two men went back outside to ask him to turn it down, he allegedly punched one in the face and the other in the chest, the affidavit said.

The men took Avalos to the ground and attempted to hold him there, but he struggled and wiggled free.

One of the men’s fiancée saw the fight and went to get assistance. After two other men arrived on the scene, Avalos allegedly pulled out a knife and threatened to kill the two men who had held him down. When Avalos lunged at one of the men with the knife, the people all fled upstairs to their rooms.

The fire boss and his fiancée locked themselves in their room. Avalos allegedly began to scream at them through the door and attempted to kick the door in.

Avalos then went into another man’s room, jumped on top of him and was attempting to break his leg when the fire boss pulled him off, the affidavit said. At that point, Avalos turned his attention again to the fire boss. When that man retreated, Avalos grabbed another man by the neck and threw him against a window.

The fire boss then struck Avalos multiple times as he attempted to get him off the man he had down.

When he was pulled off that man, Avalos turned his attention on the woman. The affidavit said he stood up and shoved her toward a couch.

At that point, all the men present grabbed Avalos and took him to the ground, where he was restrained. He eventually calmed down and was released, but refused to follow commands when law enforcement arrived and ended up being tased.

Ravalli County Justice Jim Bailey set bail at $50,000.