Suspect in cop stabbing makes court appearance

The man accused of stabbing a Great Falls Police officer in the leg Monday afternoon made his initial court appearance Tuesday. Jason Richard Corbitt, 33, faces three counts of assaulting a peace officer, all felonies, along with misdemeanor charges of obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest.

The name of the officer involved was made available Tuesday through court documents. According to the report, Corbitt was making wide, arching jab motions with a knife when officers forced their way into the suspect's home. The documents indicate Corbitt's knife made contact with Officer Anthony Munkres' left thigh, penetrating his leg. Munkres was briefly hospitalized after the alleged attack.

The police report states four officers responded to a report of a suicidal male threatening to kill his wife and child, who were in the residence at 2309 14th Ave. S. with him. According to the report, officers saw Corbitt through the blinds, holding a knife. They say he was shouting that he would not let them in, but wanted to let "his wife and kid out."

According to the report, Officer Aaron McAdam had no option but to force his way into the home due to the threats Corbitt allegedly made and the fact that he was wielding a knife. McAdam kicked the door four times before making entry. The report indicates Corbitt rushed out of the residence toward the group of officers, knife in hand. It says McAdam removed his Taser and deployed it while Munkres restrained Corbitt from the front and another officer restrained him from behind. It was then, court documents say, that Corbitt's knife made contact with Munkres' leg.

GFPD officer Tad Kimmet said the injuries sustained by both Munkres and Corbitt were nonlife-threatening, and both were transported to Benefis after the incident.

The representative from the Cascade County Attorney's Office in court Tuesday said a razor blade used in Corbitt's alleged suicide attempt was recovered at the scene. The defendant, appearing via closed circuit television from the Cascade County Detention Center, had at least one of his arms bandaged.

Charging documents say Corbitt is a resident of Arizona with little connection to the Great Falls community. The affidavit cites Corbitt's criminal history dating back to 1997, which includes domestic violence charges, protection order violations, contempt of court charges, interfering with judicial proceedings and disorderly conduct-fighting. The documents also details an altercation with Bullhead City Police in Arizona in July of 2013, during which Corbitt's pit bull allegedly attacked a woman, biting her several times. The state is requesting a $500,000 bond, citing a report from The Daily News in Bullhead stating that Corbitt was uncooperative, aggressive toward officers and disruptive while in custody during that case.

The public defender assisting defendants at the jail said the requested amount was too high given the charges at hand, explaining Corbitt is employed in Great Falls and could stay with a friend if he posts bond.

District Judge Kenneth Neil said he did find the state's requested amount unreasonable, noting the seriousness of the allegations. He set Corbitt's bail at $500,000, calling the defendant an "extreme danger to society."

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Andrea Fisher-Nitschke at 791-6527 or Anitschke@greatfallstribune.com. Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_Andrea