Man considered 'suicide by cop' during machete incident

New information has been revealed in the case of a man who allegedly tried to assault a Kalispell Police officer Saturday morning in Depot Park.

Brandon Michael Haddon, 32, of Kalispell, is charged with felony assault on a peace officer and attempted theft. He is lodged in the Flathead County Detention Center on $250,000 bail.

In 2014, Haddon pleaded guilty by way of Alford, but mentally ill, to assault on a peace officer following a 2013 incident in which he used bear spray on a trio of Kalispell Police officers. Haddon was sentenced to five years in the Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs.

According to charging documents, video footage showed Haddon pacing in an alley behind the police department before he sprayed three officers with chemical spray.

In the recent incident on Feb. 27, Haddon allegedly admitted to trying to steal a vehicle because he knew law officers would respond. Haddon allegedly said he intended to either kill responding officers or force officers to kill him.

It began when a Kalispell officer went to the intersection of Center Street and First Avenue East after a caller reported Haddon was trying to steal a vehicle. The officer found Haddon in Depot Park and saw him pull a machete and a large can of pepper spray from inside his coat.

The officer said Haddon yelled while he walked toward the patrol vehicle, then sprayed the hood and struck the passenger side of the vehicle.

Then, another Kalispell officer arrived and distracted Haddon while the first officer loaded his shotgun with non-lethal ammunition. When the first officer told Haddon to drop his weapons, he did, according to court documents.

Haddon is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 25.

Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or shindledecker@dailyinterlake.com