After deliberating two hours Friday morning, the Missoula Municipal Court jury found Dr. Walt Peschel not guilty of the misdemeanor charge.
“I'm happy. I think the system worked,” said Peschel, 66, who was hospitalized for three days after his arrest.
With 35 years of clinical experience, Peschel said he was qualified to treat the woman, and had begun to pacify her before police arrived and ordered him away from the car in which she'd locked herself.
“She told me if I stepped away she was going to kill herself,” he said at trial.
Peschel, who was tackled by an officer during his arrest, contends that a strong police presence exacerbated the woman's condition. Instead of obeying officers' orders, Peschel stood by the woman until she lost consciousness due to the drug overdose.
Police say Peschel hindered their efforts to focus on the emergency at hand and contributed to a dangerous situation, while Peschel says he had hoped to work in concert with police, and his expertise should have been seen as a valuable asset.
One officer testified that he ordered Peschel to move away from the woman's car a dozen times, and that the doctor's presence prevented him from doing his job and preserving the peace.
“Although his intentions were good, he definitely complicated the situation,” said Officer Matt Kazinsky. “Not only did I have to worry about her safety, but I had to worry about his safety.”
According to Montana law, a person must follow an officer's commands, even if the order is illegal.
But David Paoli, one of Peschel's attorneys, said the case shouldn't be viewed through a black-and-white legal lens.
“This is not about disobeying the law, this is about having some flexibility as human beings and doing what's right,” Paoli said.
The 49-year-old woman at the center of the dispute killed herself after being released from medical treatment days later.
Peschel said he hopes that some good will come of the case, and that improved crisis intervention will become a focus point for Montana law enforcement agencies.
“I would like to see us move forward,” he said.
Missoula Municipal Court Judge Marie Andersen presided over the trial.
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