Kalispell man accused of throwing knife at children

A Kalispell man faces an assault with a weapon charge after allegedly throwing a kitchen knife at several kids performing yard work in late May.

Authorities arrested Timothy Wayne Wilde, 58, on May 28 after responding to a disturbance call on Conrad Drive. According to charging documents, a neighbor accused Wilde of tossing a knife at a group of children about 9:10 p.m.

Deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office spoke with the minors, who said that the dispute started while they were mowing the lawn. Grass clippings landed on Wilde’s trailer, they said.

Wilde emerged from the trailer, yelling at the kids and banging on the structure with a broom, court documents said. One of the children said that he pulled out a knife with a fixed blade and threw it toward her, according to court documents.

The knife hit a post and fell to the ground. One of the other children retrieved it and turned the blade over to investigators, court documents said.

Interviewed by deputies, Wilde allegedly confirmed much of the account of the confrontation. Investigators then inspected Wilde’s kitchen cutlery, reporting that the design matched that of the knife retrieved by the children.

Wilde subsequently was booked into the county jail and released June 2 after posting bail. He is due in Flathead County District Court on June 30 for his arraignment.

Assault with a weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.