HELENA — David Darrow Russo, who was arrested near York on Friday, November 14, 2025, is facing felony assault and theft charges in Lewis & Clark County.
Russo, 45 years old, was scheduled to make his initial appearance before Justice of the Peace Mike Swingley on Monday. However, court staff told MTN he was not cooperating with jail staff and could not be seen.
Watch the video here:
Court documents filed Monday charge Russo of three counts of felony assault with a weapon and a felony count of theft of a light vehicle.
On Friday at around 7:30 a.m., Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the area of Beaver Creek and Owl Gulch Road. Someone had called in a broken-down vehicle with the driver appearing to be under the influence of drugs.
While on the way to the call, Deputies learned that the vehicle matched the description of a stolen vehicle. A loaded firearm was also reported stolen with the vehicle.
Joined by the Montana Highway Patrol, deputies made contact with the driver, who they later identified as Russo. The vehicle was stuck
Law enforcement reported that they held Russo at gunpoint, ordered him to leave the vehicle, and told him he was under arrest. Russo allegedly ignored law enforcement’s commands and revved the engine to attempt to move the stuck vehicle.
At one point, Russo is accused of pointing a loaded firearm at law enforcement, which led to the joint Helena-Lewis and Clark County SWAT unit being deployed to the scene.
According to law enforcement, flash bangs, gas and less-than-lethal rounds were used. A Helena police K-9 was also used, detaining Russo just before 1 p.m.
Court staff told MTN that Russo is now scheduled to make his initial appearance on Tuesday. A bond amount and arraignment date will be set at his initial appearance.
The felony assault charges are punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and up to 20 years of imprisonment. The theft charge is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and up to 10 years in prison.
