Eberth pleads not guilty to assault charge

BONNERS FERRY — A Priest River man pleaded not guilty recently to charges he pointed a gun at and threatened two people at the Kootenai River Inn in early February.

Raymond A. Eberth, 55, is charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A jury trial is scheduled for July 8, 2013.

According to court documents, Eberth allegedly pointed a gun at a woman and security guard in the Kootenai River Inn parking lot on Feb. 8 and said, “Your life is going to get a lot shorter!”

Eberth followed the woman into the Inn and asked for a room key, according to court records. The front desk clerks stalled and he went into the casino. While in the hotel, police said he threw his gun in a trash can.

Eberth then tried to escape by driving away, according to court records. Officers stopped Eberth from leaving and detained him.

Authorities found the pistol in a trash can in the Arcade Game room. The pistol was ready to fire, with the hammer locked back, safety off and a live round in the chamber, police said.