Man whose gun went off in domestic violence incident will serve 15 months in jail, federal judge says

A man who pleaded guilty in September to domestic violence after his illegally owned gun went off during an argument was sentenced to 15 months in jail and three years supervised release in federal court Thursday.

Brian Glidden was arrested in May at his northeast Spokane residence after police responded to calls of shots fired, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

His wife told police at the time that Glidden had followed her around with a pistol and caused her to lock herself in the bathroom, according to court documents. When she tried to gain control of the gun after moving into the bedroom, it fired into a mattress.

Neighbors called the police, who discovered Glidden’s criminal history barred him from owning a firearm.

Glidden, a 16-time convicted felon, pleaded guilty in September to second-degree domestic violence and unlawful possession of a gun, according to court documents.

During his sentencing Thursday, Glidden told the court he had struggled with alcohol abuse but was sober for about eight years before the incident in May.

His attorney Lorinda Youngcourt said during the hearing Glidden’s lengthy criminal history could be directly attributed to his struggle with drinking, as most of the 16 other convictions were for drinking and driving or driving without a license.

“I know I have a drinking problem,” Glidden said during his sentencing. “I slipped up and made a bad decision. I’ve learned a lot from this.”

Senior U.S. District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson said during the remote sentencing hearing that although she agreed Glidden’s other convictions showed an addiction problem, Glidden’s behavior the night of May 9 also showed a “disregard” for the law.

Peterson said she did not want to send a message that the court takes DUIs “lightly.”

“I’m not convinced having a bad day is a good enough reason … You knew you were prohibited from having a firearm,” Peterson said.

Glidden’s wife wrote a letter to the court saying she agreed with the 15 months sentence and that she was not in fear of her husband, according to court documents.

Prosecutors and Glidden’s defense attorneys also agreed on the 15 months with three years of supervised release, according to court documents.

Sentences for these charges usually fall between 15 and 21 months, according to court documents.