The Kalispell man prosecutors say threw a knife at several neighborhood children in late May has pleaded not guilty to felony assault with a weapon.

Timothy Wayne Wilde, 58, entered the plea during his June 30 arraignment before Judge Heidi Ulbricht in Flathead County District Court. She scheduled an omnibus hearing in the case for Oct. 5 with a pretrial conference to follow on Nov. 30.

Wilde is accused of lashing out at a group of children mowing a Conrad Drive lawn on May 28. The children, according to court documents, told authorities that errant lawn clippings flung onto Wilde’s trailer precipitated the dispute.

Wilde allegedly emerged from the trailer, yelling and banging on the side of the structure with a broom. One of the children told responding deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office that he pulled out a fixed-blade knife and threw it toward her.

It hit a post and dropped to the ground, court documents said. A minor retrieved it and turned it over to investigators. The knife matched those already in Wilde’s set of kitchen cutlery, court documents said.

Wilde confirmed much of the children’s account during an interview with investigators, court documents said.

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

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].