Man given suspended sentence for threatening a gas station worker with a knife

A Kalispell man who allegedly threatened a gas station employee with a knife after being told to move along late last year received a suspended jail sentence in February.  

Prosecutors brought Coby James Johns, 32, on a felony count of assault with a weapon in Flathead County District Court following the Dec. 6 confrontation in Evergreen. Although he maintained his innocence at his Dec. 11 arraignment before Judge Paul Sullivan, Johns took a plea deal in late February.  

In exchange for a guilty plea to an amended misdemeanor assault charge, prosecutors agreed to recommend Johns serve a suspended six-month jail sentence.  

Judge Paul Sullivan, who presided over the case, followed the terms of the agreement at Johns' Feb. 25 sentencing. He gave Johns credit for 81 days of time served.  

Johns, already banned from the Evergreen gas station, allegedly became incensed when an employee told him to hit the road. An angry and argumentative Johns pulled out a black folding knife and threatened to stab the employee, court documents said.  

A witness corroborated the employee's account to responding Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies.  

Johns' criminal history includes a 2024 conviction of misdemeanor assault in a case where he allegedly threatened a bar employee with a hatchet. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.