Yellowstone County sheriff’s deputies, Montana Highway Patrol troopers and emergency medical personnel responded to the home of Wesley Brian Sindelar on Thunderstick Road in Ballantine Monday evening after his father, James Sindelar, called 911 to report he had shot his son with a handgun. (Jonathan McNiven photo)
BALLANTINE — A Ballantine man was charged in Yellowstone County Justice Court Wednesday afternoon with negligent homicide after he allegedly went to the home of his son, where he shot and killed him Monday night.
James Douglas Sindelar, 73, allegedly told a sheriff’s detective that he shot his son, Wesley Brian Sindelar, after struggling with him over a handgun at his home on Thunderstick Road off Highline Canal Road.
James Sindelar called 911 to report the shooting, according to an affidavit filed in Justice Court by Christopher A. Morris, deputy chief Yellowstone County attorney. Sheriff’s deputies and Montana Highway Patrol troopers responded along with emergency medical crews, but “life saving measures… proved futile,” and Wesley
Sindelar was pronounced dead at his home, the affidavit said.
James Sindelar lives in a tent on his son’s property, about one-fourth mile from his son’s home, and told the detective that he went to Wesley Sindelar’s home because “his son was being very loud and that he gets loud when he has been drinking.”
James Sindelar said he told his son to stop drinking, pulled out a handgun and “when Wesley Sindelar tried to grab the gun, the defendant said that the gun fired with the bullet striking Wesley Sindelar in the head.”
Wesley Sindelar’s wife, identified only by initials in the affidavit, told the detective she saw James Sindelar point the handgun about 6 inches from Wesley Sindelar’s face before the two struggled with the gun and it fired.
James Sindelar went outside to call 911, he told detectives, noting that the couple’s young children were playing outside.
James Sindelar remains in jail on a $250,000 bond. His District Court arraignment is scheduled dfor Aug. 7.
An autopsy was performed Wednesday in Missoula, said Sheriff Mike Linder.
“It’s a tragedy in the community,” Linder said.
