Not guilty plea in assault charges

In 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday, Delbert Lee Bennett pleaded not guilty to felony assault with a weapon.

Court documents allege that on May 29, Bennett confronted a man in the parking lot of Harvest Foods of Thompson Falls. The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a man had just pulled a knife and put it to another man’s throat while in the parking lot. Surveillance video reviewed by SCSO showed Bennett following a man out of the store, then he forced the victim up against his truck and held a knife to his throat, according to court documents. Bennett then left in a white truck and was arrested east of Thompson Falls. According to charging documents, Bennett told SCSO that the victim owed him money.

Bennett was released on $25,000 bail on June 4.