Teen pleads innocent in beating case

The Daily Inter Lake

A Whitefish teen has pleaded innocent to severely beating another student in the parking lot outside Whitefish High School.

During his arraignment Thursday in Flathead County District Court, Joseph Wayne Goetsch, 18, entered a not-guilty plea to felony aggravated assault.

A second teen arrested in connection with the March 18 attack, Zachary Robert Watson, 16, initially was charged as an adult but his case has been sent back to Youth Court, where charges are still pending.

According to court documents, one witness reported seeing Watson tackle the alleged victim, a 16-year-old boy, and then punch him.

Witnesses told investigators Goetsch kicked the boy in the stomach and punched him in the mouth, knocking out his teeth. Another witness said the alleged victim was pinned to the ground while the beating occurred.

Investigators believe the attack was in retaliation for an earlier altercation involving the alleged victim and a friend of the defendants, according to Whitefish Police Chief Bill Dial.

Goetsch, however, did not admit to police that the assault was retaliatory, Dial added.

The alleged victim, who briefly lost consciousness, suffered blunt head trauma, cuts and a concussion. He was taken by ambulance to North Valley Hospital.

Watson was arrested soon after the alleged attack on the bus ride home from school and Goetsch, who already had left school in his car, turned himself in at the police station after the incident was reported to police.

A conviction for aggravated assault carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Goetsch's trial is scheduled for the August jury term.