Sept. 8—A 49-year-old woman pleaded not guilty to a crime Thursday after Kalispell police arrested her over the weekend for allegedly waving a box cutter at a woman who refused her a cigarette.
April Dawn Werner, who does not have a court address, appeared before Judge Danni Coffman in Flathead County District Court on September 7 and was charged with a single count of assault with a weapon. She is being held in the county jail on a $20,000 bond.
Officers began searching for Werner around 4:44 p.m. on September 3 after responding to a report of a disturbance involving a weapon in Woodland Park, according to court documents. The victim told officers that she and her family were sitting near the playground when a woman, identified as Werner, approached and sat in a nearby chair.
Werner allegedly asked the victim for a cigarette. The victim said she didn’t have one and asked Werner to move, court documents show.
Instead, Werner pulled out a sheath, stuck out part of the knife and started waving it around, according to court documents. The victim felt threatened and called the authorities.
Officers eventually tracked Werner down at a nearby bar, according to court documents. During a search of Werner’s home, they allegedly found a box cutter in her pocket.
If Werner is convicted of assault with a weapon, he could face 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].
