by Travis Mateer

According to the Missoulian, two juveniles were stabbed somewhere near this footbridge spanning the Clark Fork river. While no one is in custody, the public is being assured that ALL parties have been talked to about this stabbing. From the link:

A call came in to Missoula 911 at about 12:06 a.m. on Saturday morning reporting self-defense that caused bodily injury. Police were dispatched to the scene and took a report about a juvenile who allegedly stabbed two other minors near the footbridge, according to Missoula Police spokesperson Whitney Bennett.

Bennett said officers identified everyone involved in the call, including possible suspects. She said as of Tuesday, no one was arrested. Clothing was seized at the scene by officers and logged as evidence.

One person was transported to the hospital for injuries.

Bennett also said prior to the stabbing, a call came in about 15 minutes beforehand from an anonymous caller saying people with weapons were trying to fight. The caller abruptly hung up and didn’t answer when dispatch called them back for more context, Bennett said.

When I first read this, I immediately thought of the Ben Mousso case. Who was Ben Mousso? Three years ago he was a drug customer, but the drug deal didn’t go so well, so Ben got stabbed in a bathroom, then died. Did anything happen to the stabber, Josh Paniagua? Nope. But he WAS later arrested after building a “torture chamber” for his mom.

From the link:

19-year-old Florence teen is charged with felony assault for threatening his mother with a hammer before barricading himself away from police in her home.

Joshua Michael Paniagua, who was charged with felony drug possession in January after an incident in which investigators said he stabbed another man who was trying to rob him of his marijuana, was charged in Missoula County Justice Court on Monday with assault with a weapon, a felony which carries a possible 20-year prison sentence.

Paniagua’s mother called 911 around 11 p.m. on Saturday to report her son was “freaking out,” stating he had screwed all of the doors shut and saying his mother was “possessed by the devil,” Missoula County prosecutors said in charging documents. The woman was calling from a neighbor’s house, where she had fled after he “came at her with a hammer,” according to court documents. Paniagua had similar episodes on previous occasions, typically induced by alcohol and drug use, she told authorities.

I covered this lawful stabbing when it happened, so here’s some articles to check out:

BREAKING: Missoula County Attorney’s Office Reviews Drug Dealer’s Right To Stab His Customer To Death (June 30th, 2020)

Pabst Hides Behind Reasonable Person Standard To Explain Not Prosecuting Budding Psychopath Josh Paniagua (July 6th, 2020)

Nine Months Later, Questions Persist Around The Violent Deaths (Murders?) Of Sean Stevenson And Ben Mousso (September 22nd, 2020)

What Is Joshua Paniagua Being Sentenced For? Because He Was Never Charged With Murder Thanks To County Attorney, Kirsten Pabst (December 10th, 2021)

While there’s nothing yet tying these recent stabbings to drugs, the area where this happened has been a big hangout spot for street kids all summer long, so I’m not surprised a stabbing happened here. I’m also curious which detectives have been assigned to this case. I can think of one set of initials that would raise an immediate red flag with me, considering I keep hearing stories about him from nearly everyone I talk to on the streets.

The police officers who will have the most interaction with young people recreating with drugs and peacocking-jumps off the bridge in this part of town are the downtown BID police officers, who generally patrol on bike. Here’s the lucky officers from the PD directory:

I’ve had plenty of interactions with previous BID Officers when I worked at the Poverello Center, so I know how challenging this position can be. One even admitted to me, near the end of his tenure, how the street kids ran down his patience to the degree he was worried he was going to shoot one (he didn’t).

While I do my own biking around town, I’ll be sure to ask about this stabbing, along with other things, like the Joey Thompson case, and the weed-laced Fentanyl allegations.

If you would like to assist my ability to make these inquiries, Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF) is one way to help, while making a donation at my about page is another.

Thanks for reading!