Kalispell man pleads not guilty to assault charge
Bishop William Harrison at his June 9, 2022 arraignment in Flathead County District Court. (Derrick Perkins/Daily Inter Lake)
A Kalispell man accused of putting a gun to a woman’s head at an area campground pleaded not guilty to an assault with a weapon charge last week.
Bishop William Harrison, 43, appeared before Judge Amy Eddy in Flathead County District Court for his June 9 arraignment on the single felony charge following his arrest last month.
Prosecutors alleged that Harrison knocked a woman down in her camper, held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her on May 27. Afterward, Harrison allegedly left the camper and stowed the gun in his truck.
Deputies from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene after receiving reports of a woman screaming. They described the victim as “upset and fearful” as she recounted the alleged incident.
Deputies noticed an empty holster on Harrison’s hip during their investigation, court documents said.
Harrison was booked in a county jail but has since been released on a commercial bond. If found guilty, Harrison faces up to 20 years in state prison and a maximum fine of up to $50,000.
His case goes back before the judge for a Sept. 28 omnibus hearing with a pretrial conference set for Oct. 19.