Man sentenced for assaulting county jail guards

A Kalispell man who violently assaulted three jail guards earlier this year was sentenced Thursday in Flathead County District Court to serve time in the Montana State Prison.

Devon Joel Morris, 25, received three 5-year terms from District Court Judge Heidi Ulbricht. Morris pleaded guilty in October to three counts of assault on a peace officer.

Ulbricht ordered the sentences to be served concurrently. But the judge threw Morris a curveball when she ordered him to serve those sentences consecutively to ones he has in Missoula and Lewis and Clark counties.

The plea agreement that was agreed to by Morris and Flathead County prosecutors called for the sentences to be served concurrently.

Morris was sentenced in 2012 in Missoula County on theft and burglary charges. In 2016, he was sentenced in Lewis and Clark County for burglary. Morris was part of a group of men who broke into a Helena home and stole more than 80 knives, according to a 2016 story in the Montana Standard.

In 2019, according to a story on kpax.com, Morris allegedly was involved in a police chase in Missoula. He was arrested for escape and for violating terms of a conditional release.

Ulbricht said she ordered the sentences from other counties to be served consecutively due to the nature of the current crimes, his past history and to ensure his efforts at substance abuse rehabilitation.

Flathead County Deputy Attorney Stacy Boman said she believed Morris’ behavior was due to his methamphetamine addiction.

The most recent incident began Feb. 25, when Morris entered a Kalispell grocery store and caused a disturbance. His initial charge was criminal trespass, a misdemeanor.

But, according to charging documents, later that morning Morris attempted to destroy his bed mattress. When a detention officer opened his cell door, Morris used the mattress to push his way out of the cell and proceeded to assault several guards.

He punched two officers in the face several times, caused another to suffer an eye injury after Morris squeezed his face and shoved it against a cabinet and then grabbed his genitals.

A fourth officer ended the melee after punching Morris several times.

Morris said when he was done serving his time he wanted to leave Montana and go to California to live with his sister and find work there.

Ulbricht said that decision would be up to the state Probation and Parole department.

Morris did receive credit for serving 288 days in jail.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com or at 406-758-4441.