Whitefish man reaches plea agreement in road rage case

KALISPELL (AP) – A Whitefish man charged with shooting at two motorcyclists during a road rage incident last August has reached a plea agreement that recommends he be sentenced to 10 years under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.

The Flathead Beacon reports 35-year-old Christopher Robert Showen entered an Alford plea to assault with a weapon during a Feb. 27 hearing. Under such a plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to gain a conviction.

A man and his girlfriend reported they were riding their motorcycle on Aug. 2 near Columbia Falls when a reckless driver passed them and made obscene gestures. Court records say the couple followed in an attempt to get a license plate number, but a man leaned out of the car and fired a handgun at them.