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Pig farmer, 81, has hearing in alleged assault
| Thursday, Jun 7 2007 9:05 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Jun 7 2007 9:11 PM
It doesn't look like a close fight when you examine the respective parties.
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Louis Montgomery waits to be called into Kern County Superior Court in this June 2007 file photo.
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On the one side is pig farmer Louis Montgomery, a slight, 81-year-old man whose brawling days would seem to be far behind him. Sheriff's Deputy Steven Williams, the other party, is stocky, sports a crew cut and would appear at home in a lineup of U.S. Marines.
But looks can be deceiving.
Williams testified Thursday that Montgomery surprised him with his speed and struck the deputy several times in the head with a paint roller in a March 4 dispute with neighbors that turned ugly.
Months before the confrontation with the deputy, several neighbors had been fighting to keep Montgomery from keeping more than two pigs on his half-acre of land, saying the animals stink and breed flies.
Other neighbors, however, supported the pig farm, which provides pigs for 4-H and FFA projects for the Kern County Fair.
County officials required Montgomery to build a block wall between his property and that of Randy Cass, a neighbor opposed to the pigs.
On March 4, Montgomery and his daughter decided to paint the side of the wall facing the Cass property a multitude of colors, prompting Cass to call law enforcement.
The situation quickly deteriorated when Montgomery ignored an order by Williams to stop painting the wall.
"(Montgomery) looked at me and stated, 'All I gotta do is raise (the paint roller) up,'" Williams said.
After twice being told to stop painting, Montgomery struck Williams in the head with the paint roller several times, cutting him. Montgomery also called for relatives standing nearby to grab his shotgun, Williams said.
Williams pepper-sprayed Montgomery and called for backup. He finally got a hold of the paint roller and jabbed Montgomery in the upper chest with it.
A Bakersfield police officer arrived and he and Williams took Montgomery off the wall and arrested him, Williams said. The pig farmer was charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.
Montgomery's attorney, Kyle Humphrey, said Williams could have handled the situation better.
"I don't believe we pay our law enforcement personnel to bust up old men," Humphrey said.
The attorney said Montgomery suffered several injuries, including a broken rib and bruising in the area of his testicles.
Superior Court Judge Arthur E. Wallace ruled Thursday that there was enough evidence against Montgomery to schedule another arraignment on June 18.