Helena man facing felony charges after July 5 incident at Lincoln Rodeo Grounds

A Helena man faces three counts of felony endangerment and a misdemeanor DUI after Lewis and Clark county deputies responded to reports of an intoxicated person shooting into the air at the Lincoln Rodeo Grounds July 5.

Deputies arrested Cody James Wortman, 28, at a traffic stop after learning he was headed east in a grey Chrysler.

According to court documents, Wortman had reportedly been in a fight and was threatening other people. After his arrest, Wortman claimed he had been assaulted by several males at the rodeo, and was followed when he attempted to escape. He claimed he shot a revolver into the air to scare off his pursuers.

The victims said that they didn't see any fights at the rodeo grounds involving Wortman and claimed they thought they were being fired upon.

A breath sample allegedly showed Wortman was intoxicated.