Timothy J. Racicot Acting United States Attorney for the District of Montana | Wikipedia
A Wolf Point resident, Philip Ray Azure, 22, has pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon following incidents on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced the plea.
Azure's sentencing is scheduled for September 24, 2025. He faces up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris will determine the sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The first incident occurred on March 16, 2023. Azure visited John Doe’s residence in Wolf Point where they were drinking together. After becoming intoxicated and being asked to leave for causing a disturbance, Azure struck a family member of Doe's who was escorting him out. When confronted by Doe about this behavior, Azure stabbed him in the chest before leaving silently.
Doe sustained serious injuries from the stabbing which resulted in a partially collapsed lung and required surgery in Billings after being airlifted there for treatment.
The second incident took place on January 27, 2024. During an altercation involving slap-boxing that escalated into violence among friends including co-defendants and victim John Doe 2, Azure was involved in an attack using a bat while others used different weapons such as a hammer.
Witnesses reported seeing Azure and his co-defendants assaulting Doe 2 who died at the scene from blunt and sharp force injuries including stab wounds.
Azure was arrested following this second assault initially denying involvement but later admitting participation though claiming memory loss due to intoxication during the event.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigations conducted by the FBI alongside local law enforcement agencies including Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice as well as Wolf Point Police Department.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations fostering trust within communities while focusing on strategic enforcement priorities.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
