Woman allegedly chased bystanders around a Kalispell parking lot with a machete
DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 weeks, 3 days AGO
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. | July 28, 2026 12:00 AM
A machete-wielding Kalispell woman chased people through the parking lot of a grocery store in early July, prosecutors say.
Sarah Leann Dicker, 25, faces a felony assault with a weapon charge and a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief in Flathead County District Court following the alleged July 1 fracas outside the West Idaho Street supermarket. She is expected to be arraigned before Judge Paul Sullivan on Aug. 20.
An ex-boyfriend of Dicker's phoned the authorities about 11:44 p.m., telling dispatchers that she was racing around the lot, hitting vehicles with the machete and threatening bystanders with the weapon, according to court documents. Arriving Kalispell Police officers found Dicker allegedly still running around the lot with the machete.
Although she tried to flee, the officers used a Taser to take her into custody, court documents said. On the way to the county jail, Dicker injured herself smashing her head against the cage in the back of a patrol car, court documents said.
Dicker's ex and another man told investigators that the three of them were in an RV when Dicker began smashing the back window with her head. Dicker eventually left the vehicle with the machete and the two men locked themselves inside and dialed 911, according to court documents.
Stuck outside, Dicker allegedly began to smash her head against the door and hit the side of the RV with the machete. She threatened to kill the pair unless they let her back inside, court documents said.
From their vantage point, the two men watched as Dicker began striking other vehicles with the machete and chasing bystanders with it, court documents alleged.
Dicker also allegedly hit a Kalispell Police Department patrol car with the machete.
Dicker remains in the county jail with bail set at $50,000. If convicted of the felony charge, she faces up to 20 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.
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