A Libby man allegedly boarded a school bus and threatened the driver with a knife on Feb. 20, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
Duane Richard Tholen, 57, has been charged with two counts of felony assault with a weapon. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 23.
According to the sheriff’s office, Tholen waved down a school bus driving along Terrance View Road south of Libby shortly before 5 p.m., Friday. When the bus stopped, Tholen got on board and began yelling at the driver for going too fast. He then displayed a knife and threatened both the driver and her assistant. There were five children on the bus at the time of the incident.
The driver was able to remove Tholen and then drove off. She called police and gave them a description of Tholen. At about 6 p.m., police went to Tholen’s residence and interviewed him. They arrested him soon after and transported him to the Lincoln County Detention Facility.
If convicted, Tholen could face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of $50,000.