Prosecutors: Man in skeleton costume wielded gun
DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 12 months AGO
Romano Corbitt. (Photo courtesy of the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)
NEWS EDITOR Derrick Perkins serves as News Editor at the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees daily news coverage and works closely with reporters to plan, edit and publish stories across print and digital platforms. Perkins helps coordinate coverage of local government, public safety, business and community developments throughout Northwest Montana. He works with the reporting staff to strengthen journalism while maintaining consistent daily coverage. His role helps ensure the newsroom delivers timely, accurate reporting that readers rely on. IMPACT: Derrick’s work keeps readers informed about the decisions and events shaping their communities every day. | September 14, 2022 12:00 AM
A Kalispell man is behind bars for allegedly pulling out what looked like a handgun after being asked to leave a basketball court on Financial Drive over the weekend.
Prosecutors filed a single count of assault with a weapon against Romano Corbitt, 31, following his arrest at his Sixth Avenue West home on Sept. 10. He remains held in the county jail with bail set at $50,000.
Authorities began looking for Corbitt after receiving a report of a disturbance at about 7:06 p.m. The caller described a disorderly man in a skeleton costume hanging outside a Financial Drive apartment complex. Midway through the conversation, according to court documents, the caller became “frantic.”
The man was riding a motorcycle toward her while welding a handgun, she told authorities.
He was gone by the time Kalispell Police officers arrived, but witnesses provided the motorcycle’s license plate. Investigators also spoke with the original caller, who said the man, later identified as Corbitt, acted “belligerently” and was talking to himself while playing basketball on the complex’s court, court documents said.
The caller’s husband approached Corbitt and asked him to leave. Corbitt responded by grabbing a bag and referring ominously to its contents before heading to his motorcycle, court documents said.
Approaching a group gathered there, he “brandished what appeared to be a hand gun,” according to court documents.
“I should kill you,” he allegedly told one of the onlookers.
Using the license plate information, investigators tracked down Corbitt’s address. With authorities at his door, Corbitt allegedly admitted to his role in the confrontation, but said he used a BB gun.
A subsequent search of his home uncovered a handgun, motorcycle, skeleton costume and two BB guns, court documents said.
Corbitt faces up to 20 years behind bars and a fine of $50,000 for felony assault with a weapon. He is expected to be arraigned in Flathead County District Court on Oct. 27.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].
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