Volunteer Firefighter Pleads Not Guilty to State's Charges

St. Regis Volunteer Firefighter Gary Dockter pled not guilty and requested a trial by jury on Monday in response to charges filed against him by the state. 

Dockter is accused of providing false reports to Montana Highway Patrol Officer Richard Hader and if found guilty he faces up to six months in jail along with a fine. 

Montana Assistant Attorney General D. Ole Olson is representing the state in this case due to the fact that Trooper Hader is married to County Attorney Marcia Boris, who would typically handle cases of this nature. 

Judge Wanda James took the plea and released Dockter under the provision that he return to court when hearings are scheduled. 

 “This just starts the process,” Judge James said. 

According to the affidavit, Dockter is accused of providing a false report to Trooper Hader in regards to his conduct at the scene of an accident on the night of Feb. 28. 

Snow was accumulating and conditions were icy on Interstate 90 when a semi-truck crashed just west of Superior. 

The wrecked truck blocked both lanes of traffic and caused traffic to back up behind the site. 

One of the vehicles behind the wreck was a Montana Department of Transportation snow plow operated by Bruce Lamb. 

Due to the increase of snow accumulating on the road, Lamb exited his truck to find someone to help him turn the truck around so he could continue plowing. 

The affidavit states that shortly after Dockter reported to the scene he was contacted by Lamb where he requested Dockter’s assistance in turning around the snow plow. Dockter agreed and stood by a police vehicle, waiving Lamb out of the westbound lanes and into the eastbound lanes. 

At the same time a motorist, Mike Hansen, was traveling eastbound on the I-90. Hansen swerved to avoid hitting the snow plow and began to slide towards Under Sheriff Mike Boone’s patrol cruiser. 

Boone was standing next to the cruiser with the operator of the crashed semi-truck, when Hansen slid into the patrol cruiser. 

After striking the patrol cruiser, the vehicle struck Boone as well as the driver of the semi-truck. 

Trooper Hader investigated the incident and over the course of the investigation he claims that Dockter reported two different versions of whether or not he assisted Lamb with moving his snow plow. As such, Trooper Hader requested formal charges be filed. 

Mineral County Commissioner Duane Simons said that he is not pleased with the charges filed against Dockter. 

“Gary is a volunteer, he did what he thought was right,” Simons said. “I don’t know what took place down there that night, but I know Gary is an honest person.” 

Simons also stated that he believes the accusation stems from other incidents between Trooper Hader and volunteer firefighters, several of which have resulted in formal letters of complaint against Trooper Hader. 

“It’s wrong for a public official to use your power to prosecute a volunteer for doing their job,” Simons said. “My own gut feeling is that this stems from this other b.s. with Hader being called to the carpet.”