Plea deal resolves ramming case

SANDPOINT - A former Bonner County man accused of ramming his sport utility vehicle into the door of a Ponderay tavern during an altercation with a bartender has entered into a plea agreement to resolve his case.

Shaun Lee Spencer was scheduled to be tried this week on a felony battery charge and a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge. But in an agreement with the prosecution, the battery charge was downgraded slightly and the driving under the influence was dismissed, according to court documents.

Spencer pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to an amended charge of aggravated assault, which is also a felony. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2 in 1st District Court.

Spencer, 31, was charged after a March 1, 2007, incident in which he allegedly drove his Jeep Cherokee into the west entrance of the Hideaway Lounge at the Bonner Mall. The 28-year-old bartender told Ponderay Police he was knocked unconscious when the SUV crashed into the entryway.

Spencer's blood alcohol concentration, according to a police report, was measured at 0.13, which is nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Spencer, who now lives in Frenchtown, Mont., reportedly told police the bartender was scuffling with his girlfriend and drove into the entrance to stop the alleged battery. The bartender told police the trouble began when another of Spencer's companions became belligerent and threw a punch at him, which led to the group's ejection from the bar.