The Kalispell man who punched Whitefish’s police chief in the face on Halloween night has been sentenced to the Department of Corrections after pleading no contest to charges of assault on a peace officer.
Caleb Buzzell was sentenced to 15 years to the DOC with 10 years suspended, during a hearing in Flathead County District Court on May 28, seven months after he assaulted Chief Bill Dial.
Buzzell, who was previously convicted of assault on a peace officer in 2013 when he struck a Flathead County sheriff’s deputy, will also have to pay more than $6,900 in restitution to cover the chief’s medical bills.
During the sentencing hearing, Buzzell said he was sorry for what happened.
“I apologize for my actions that night, to both my family and the officer,” he said
According to Dial and court documents, on Oct 31, 2014 the Whitefish Police Department received a report of an intoxicated man stumbling in the middle of Spokane Avenue and jumping out of brush and scaring children who were trick or treating.
Dial was the closest officer and responded, finding Buzzell stumbling near the First Interstate Bank and yelling at passing cars and pedestrians. The suspect became agitated when Dial approached.
“I just wanted to know who he was so I could give him a ride home but then things escalated,” Dial said.
When Buzzell continued to scream and yell obscenities at people, Dial said he decided to use a Taser to subdue him and place him under arrest. But the Taser was ineffective because Buzzell was wearing a heavy coat. Dial said he then tried to physically subdue the suspect, but Buzzell punched the police chief two or three times in the face, resulting in a broken nose, two black eyes and a few cuts.
Upon seeing Buzzell punching the police chief, two onlookers ran over and helped subdue the man until another officer arrived. Buzzell was placed under arrest and charged with assault on a peace officer.