Deputies arrested a Kalispell man last month after he allegedly attacked his mother and beat his grandmother with her cane. 

Joseph Patrick Ford, 46, faces a felony charge of assault with a weapon and a misdemeanor count of partner or family member assault, first offense, in Flathead County District Court following the alleged Dec. 28 attack. Held in the county jail with bail set at $100,000, Ford is expected to appear before Judge Dan Wilson on Jan. 22 for arraignment.  

Ford's arrest came after Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies headed to a Whitefish Stage Road property for a report of a fight about 11:42 p.m. Ford's brother told the deputies that he heard cries for help on the property earlier that night and followed the screaming to come across the fight in mid swing.  

He reported finding Ford's grandmother on the ground and Ford on top of his mother, punching her, court documents said. He also accused Ford of beating his grandmother with her cane, which deputies found broken on a front porch, according to court documents.  

Authorities described Ford's mother as suffering injuries to her face, which was still bloodied from the alleged attack. His grandmother sported injuries to her face, wrist and leg, according to court documents. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment.  

Deputies later found Ford in a cabin on the Whitefish Stage Road property and arrested him, court documents said.  

Felony assault with a weapon is punishable by up to 20 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine. Misdemeanor partner or family member assault, first offense, carries a penalty of between a day and a year in county jail and a fine of between $100 and $1,000. 

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