With a bag of marijuana gummies in his system, a motorist waved over a Kalispell Police officer late last month, broke down crying in front of him and later slugged him in the face, prosecutors say.  

Paul Vincent Wargo, 56, pleaded not guilty to felony assault on a peace officer and misdemeanor driving under the influence, first offense, before Judge Heidi Ulbricht in Flathead County District Court on July 2. Ulbricht set an omnibus hearing for Aug. 12 with a pretrial conference to follow on Sept. 23.  

The officer saw Wargo waving at him at the intersection of North Meridian Road and Idaho Street and followed him to the parking lot of a nearby grocery store about 9:34 a.m., June 20, according to court documents. After handing the officer his driver's license, Wargo began to cry and behave oddly, to include saying he had been awake for three days and driven 200 miles in that time, court documents said. He also asked to speak with President Donald Trump and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. 

The officer described Wargo as flushed in the face and boasting bloodshot, watery eyes, according to court documents.  

Asked how he had been able to keep awake for 72 hours, Wargo allegedly grabbed a bag of marijuana gummies from his passenger seat. The bag label advertised 10 gummies inside. The officer noted that he could find only one half-eaten gummy stuck to the outside of the bag, court documents said.  

Given the edibles, the officer tried to put Wargo through field sobriety tests, but the 56-year-old struggled to finish them, according to court documents.  

"I'm going to start getting higher and higher," he allegedly told the officer.  

When the officer directed Wargo to perform a walk and turn test, Wargo refused, saying his legs were shaking just from standing up, according to court documents. Wargo then asked to speak to a judge before allegedly slugging the officer in the jaw.  

Following the punch, the officer arrested Wargo and took him to a medical center for a blood draw before heading to the Flathead County Detention Center. As they drove toward the jail, Wargo told the officer that he was becoming happier, court documents said. 

"Why's that?" the officer asked.  

"Pot," Wargo allegedly replied.  

If convicted of felony assault on a peace officer, Wargo faces between two and 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine.

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