A man accused of threatening an East Evergreen Drive couple with a knife in 2023 later received a suspended sentence in Flathead County District Court.  

Prosecutors charged Benjamin John Harvey, 34, with felony assault with a weapon following the Dec. 4, 2023, confrontation. Though he initially pleaded not guilty, he struck a deal with prosecutors in April 2024.  

In exchange for a guilty plea, prosecutors amended the felony charge to misdemeanor assault and agreed to recommend he serve a six-month suspended sentence in the county jail and see a $500 fine waived. As part of the arrangement, Harvey agreed to follow the recommendations of a mental health provider.  

Judge Danni Coffman stuck to the terms of the deal during Harvey's April 4, 2024 sentencing.  

Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Harvey after responding to reports of an attempted stabbing, according to court documents. The victims, who had barricaded themselves in a bedroom to escape Harvey, later told investigators that they suspected the 34-year-old of planning to attack them with a knife, court documents said. One of the two recounted bracing the locked door as Harvey attempted to break into the room, according to court documents.  

When deputies arrived at the home, Harvey allegedly greeted them by answering the door with a multitool knife in his hand. Authorities used less-than-lethal rounds on him after he refused orders to drop the tool, court documents said.  

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