Executive Summary
- Montgomery Ellsworth Gardner was sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting a police officer.
- The incident involved a physical attack and a two-hour SWAT standoff at an Oregon City park.
- The officer suffered significant injuries, including a four-inch head cut, and continues to receive care.
- Gardner pleaded guilty to assaulting a public safety officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
OREGON CITY, Ore. — A 40-year-old man was sentenced to two years in prison last week following a violent altercation with a police officer and a subsequent standoff with a SWAT team, according to the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office. Montgomery Ellsworth Gardner received the sentence after pleading guilty to charges of assaulting a public safety officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The incident occurred on July 25 at a park on South Molalla Avenue in Oregon City. According to official reports, a Molalla police officer approached Gardner, who was observed holding a meth pipe inside a tent. The situation escalated when the officer instructed Gardner, who was also in possession of a large Bowie knife, to exit the tent. Prosecutors state that Gardner attacked the officer immediately upon being informed that he was being detained.
During the ensuing struggle, the District Attorney’s Office details that Gardner knocked the officer to the ground, struck him in the head, and strangled him. Following the assault, Gardner fled into the officer’s patrol vehicle and refused to exit. This precipitated a standoff with a SWAT unit that lasted more than two hours before Gardner surrendered and was taken into custody.
The officer was hospitalized following the attack with multiple injuries, including a four-inch laceration to his head. At the sentencing hearing on November 26, the officer testified before the judge that he is still receiving medical care for his injuries and noted that the assault has had a “major impact” on his career in law enforcement.
Judicial and Public Safety Assessment
The sentencing of Montgomery Gardner brings a judicial conclusion to a violent episode that highlights the inherent risks law enforcement officers face during routine patrols and subject interactions. The two-year prison term reflects the court’s application of sentencing guidelines regarding assaults on public safety personnel, balanced against the defendant’s admission of guilt. Additionally, the conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm underscores the legal system’s focus on recidivism and weapon control violations. It is important to note that while this case concluded with a guilty plea, under the U.S. justice system, all individuals charged with crimes are initially presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
