A Kalispell man allegedly fired off several rounds at a bar last month before drunkenly leading the police on a high-speed chase through the city.  

Anthony Velez, 39, faces felony counts of criminal endangerment and aggravated fleeing from or eluding a peace officer as well as a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, second offense, following the alleged Nov. 22 pursuit. He is expected to appear before Judge Dan Wilson in Flathead County District Court on Dec. 18 for his arraignment.  

The chase began after Kalispell Police officers headed to a bar near Woodland Park where a man reportedly had fired a gun several times before fleeing in a grey Ford F-150 with California license plates about 12:36 a.m., according to court documents. An officer driving east on Second Street East spotted a pickup matching the description stopped near the intersection of Second Street East and Third Avenue East.  

Turning around to make a traffic stop, the officer watched as the driver, later identified as Velez, turned onto Second Avenue East and began driving the wrong way down the one-way street, court documents alleged. Ignoring the lights and sirens of the pursuing police vehicle, Velez allegedly sped up to nearly 70 mph.  

The chase continued for about four blocks, with Velez allegedly blowing through stop signs, and ended after Velez struck a fire hydrant. Apparently unaware his pickup was stuck on the hydrant, Velez continued to accelerate, court documents said. Realizing his predicament, Velez allegedly threw the truck into reverse, but backed into a stand of trees.  

Velez exited the truck and surrendered as more officers arrived at the site of the crash, according to court documents. Authorities took him to the Police Department to undergo field sobriety tests given his driving behavior, the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person and the smell of marijuana in his truck, court documents said.  

Velez later allegedly admitted to drinking a pair of beers at the bar and smoking marijuana the day prior, but refused to comply with the tests, citing an injured shoulder, or provide a breath sample, court documents alleged. He ultimately consented to a blood draw and a sample was sent to the Montana State Crime Lab.  

BACK AT the bar, investigators interviewed patrons who said Velez had spent about two hours drinking inside the establishment with a gun concealed in his sweatshirt pocket.  

They said he began to following women outside the bar, which angered their boyfriends and husbands, according to court documents. During an ensuing argument, Velez allegedly pulled out a gun and pointed it at as many as four people inside the bar.  

One of those individuals, a bouncer, put himself between the gun and the establishment's patrons and hustled Velez outside, court documents said.  

The bouncer later described the weapon as a .45 pistol.  

Back in his truck, Velez allegedly fired the gun several times as he drove off. Witnesses said Velez circled back around the parking lot to fire the gun again before departing permanently, according to court documents.  

Officers later located a shell for a .45 in the parking lot, court documents said.  

Velez remains held in the county jail with bail set at $150,000. In the charging documents, prosecutors wrote that Velez has a criminal history in California, among them a conviction of assault with a firearm with a street gang enhancement that led to prison time. Previous convictions include kidnapping, assault, theft and substance use, prosecutors wrote.  

He also has a 2023 driving under the influence charge on his record with no disposition, court documents said.  

If convicted of felony criminal endangerment, Velez faces up to 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine. Aggravated fleeing from or eluding a peace officer is punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a $,5000 fine. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].