Trial ordered in pistol incident

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County teen was ordered Wednesday to stand trial for allegedly pointing a pistol at an 11-year-old boy at a Priest River apartment complex last month.

Thomas Joseph Kurylo Jr. is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Judge Justin Julian found during a preliminary hearing that there was sufficient evidence to justify trying Kurylo, according to court documents.

Julian ruled there was insufficient evidence to bind

Kurylo over on a second felony assault charge for allegedly pointing the same weapon at the boy’s older brother earlier on the day in question.

There were no injuries in the Nov. 15 incident, although both brothers testified on Wednesday that they feared being shot by Kurylo, 18.

The older brother, 22, told the court that Kurylo put a revolver to his temple and threatened to pull the trigger in the apartment complex’s parking lot. However, the man testified that he did not report the incident.

The elder brother testified that Kurylo later pulled the gun on his younger brother. The younger brother presented similar testimony when called to the stand.

A defense witness, Mitchell James Grove, also 18, told the court that he heard the older brother suggest to Kurylo that they use the weapon to scare his younger brother. The older brother denied that allegation during his testimony.

Given the older brother’s decision to hang out with Kurylo after the first, unreported gun incident, Julian concluded the defendant and the older brother were stupidly fooling around with the gun when they decided to put a scare into the younger brother, court records indicate.

Kurylo’s arraignment in 1st District Court is pending.