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MT man accused of kidnapping, holding neighbor at gunpoint

Posted at 12:27 PM, Jul 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-09 14:27:29-04

BOZEMAN – A Bozeman man was arrested Sunday after allegedly pointing a shotgun at his neighbor in a shared laundry room and preventing her from leaving.

Paul Daniel McBride, 49, appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Monday, charged with kidnapping and assault with a weapon. His bail was set at $200,000.

According to court documents, a Bozeman police officer interviewed the victim when she reported the incident at the Law and Justice Center on Sunday.

The victim reported receiving a text from McBride, her upstairs neighbor, asking her to remove her laundry from the shared laundry room of their building on the 900 block of West Lamme.

Court documents state that when the victim entered the laundry room, McBride came out from behind a wall, shoved her into a corner and pointed a shotgun at her face. The victim said McBride had blocked the door so she couldn’t leave, told her she was “snooty” and that he had been bullied his entire life.

The victim said she convinced McBride to put down the weapon, telling him she wouldn’t report him to the police, after approximately 20 minutes. She said McBride told her he wasn’t going to hurt her and only wanted to teach her a lesson. He reportedly showed her that the gun was not loaded.

When Bozeman police met McBride at his residence, he allegedly admitted to pointing the gun at the victim and just wanted to scare her. According to court documents, he said the victim thought she was better than him, and he wanted her respect.

Police say McBride also stated again he had been bullied all his life and that it all “came to a head” that night. Before police transported him to the Gallatin County Detention Center, McBride reportedly said something to the effect of “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I need help.”

McBride’s next court appearance is set for August 3.

MTN’s Mallory Peebles and David Dyas contributed to this report.