A Kalispell man will likely be committed to the Montana State Hospital after admitting he assaulted four people in August at an apartment complex.
James Michael Reeves pleaded Alford to felony burglary and assault with a weapon on Dec. 15 in Flathead County District Court. Three other charges, including two other felony assault with a weapon charges, were dropped as part of a plea deal.
Court documents state Reeves is “mentally ill” and will under go a formal evaluation at the Montana State Hospital for likely placement there prior to being sentenced in May 2017. Prosecutors are expected to recommend that Judge Amy Eddy sentence the man to 20 years at the state hospital with 10 years suspended.
If the evaluation finds that Reeves is not suffering from a mental illness, prosecutors will likely recommend a 20-year sentence to the Montana State Prison with 10 years suspended.
According to court documents, Reeves was watching television at his mother’s apartment in Kalispell on Aug. 6 when he allegedly began to punch her in the face. He then grabbed a laptop computer and started to hit her in the face repeatedly until it broke into two pieces. Reeves’ mother sustained a broken noise and several lacerations.
As Reeves allegedly beat his mother, the woman’s caretaker tried to intervene. Reeves grabbed a piece of the broken laptop and struck him. The caretaker tried to run but Reeves punched him in the back of the head, according to court documents.
Law enforcement say Reeves ran out of his mother’s apartment and into another one nearby. There, Reeves allegedly grabbed a kitchen chair and began to beat a woman who was sleeping on a couch. The woman rolled off the couch and ran down the hallway, at which point her husband, who had been taking out the trash and left the apartment door open, walked in. The man grabbed Reeves and held him down until his wife could escape. Reeves then ran out of the apartment.
Meanwhile, a neighbor heard a commotion and went outside to investigate. The man saw Reeves and asked what was going on. Reeves then allegedly shoved the man down a flight of stairs and fled.