Man gets 10 years, two suspended for threatening family member with sword

An Anaconda man was sentenced on Jan. 21 to 10 years with two of those years suspended to Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services for threatening a family member with a sword in 2024.

David Ritter, who appeared before 3rd Judicial District Court Judge Jeffrey Dahood on Wednesday for sentencing, had in July of 2025 pleaded guilty but mentally ill to felony assault with a deadly weapon.

Pursuant to a plea agreement with the State of Montana, three misdemeanor counts of partner or family member assault and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest were dismissed. Per the plea agreement, the state recommended 10 years in the Montana Department of Health and Human Services and did not seek imposition of a fine.

In a handwritten note on the plea agreement, the defendant wrote that on Nov. 9, 2024 he caused “reasonable apprehension of serious bodily harm…by use of a sword. At the time I did so my ability to conform my conduct to the requirements of the law was impaired by a mental disease or disorder and I did not possess the ability to appreciate the criminality of my conduct due to mental disease.”

According to the affidavit filed by the State of Montana in support of the charges, on Nov. 9, 2024 ADLC Law Enforcement Sergeant Matt Ives and Officers Blake Linstead, Dan Beasley, Kayne Bryant and Bryce Neilson responded to a report of a family disturbance at the 300 block of E. Commercial Ave. in Anaconda where they received permission from a female resident to enter the apartment.

Upon entering, Sgt. Ives saw that the defendant was also standing in the living room, and so he requested the female come into another room with him so they could speak about the issue while the defendant spoke with the other officers, according to the affidavit.

The woman informed the officer that the defendant had come home earlier in the evening and appeared to be intoxicated and began arguing with her, and then she stated he had retrieved a sword from another room, said words to the effect of “do you know the difference between me and a killer,” and held the sword’s blade over her head, according to the affidavit.

There were two teenagers in the apartment, one of whom she stated was able to get the sword away from the defendant, and stated that at that point she and the two children left and drove to the parking lot of a nearby business where they stayed for about an hour before returning to the apartment due to the cold weather, according to the affidavit.

She stated that upon returning, they saw the defendant was asleep so they locked themselves into a room away from him, but told the officer that after he had woken up and found that they were in a locked room he kicked the door in to gain access to it and began yelling at her and the children, whose safety she was fearful for, according to the affidavit.

Sgt. Ives then informed the defendant he was being placed under arrest and requested he stand up and put his hands behind his back, but the defendant refused, and when the officer made contact with the defendant he tensed his body and pulled away and struggled with the officers to avoid being arrested, according to the affidavit, which states that “the officers were required to use force to effect the arrest, placing the officers and others in the area at risk.”

The maximum sentence for assault with a weapon is 20 years and jail and a $50,000 fine, and if the victim is a partner or family member of the defendant, the defendant is required to pay for and complete a counseling assessment.