Libby man facing 40 years in prison

A 55-year-old Libby man could be sentenced to more than 40 years in prison after his arrest Jan. 4.

Brandon Huffman was charged with one felony count of assault on a minor and misdemeanor tampering with a communications device and partner family member assault. If convicted, Huffman could get up to 40 years for the felony assault charge, as well as one year for the misdemeanor assault charge and six months for the tampering misdemeanor.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Boyd White was dispatched to a residence on Farm to Market Road, at which Huffman lives with his partner, in response to a report of a domestic disturbance. The woman reported Huffman, who had been drinking, threatened to hit her four-year-old son and called him an obscene name.

The woman said she attempted to call law enforcement to have Huffman removed from the residence, but Huffman took her phone and threw it, causing it to break apart.

White then interviewed the woman’s seven-year-old daughter, who was also present at the time of the incident. The daughter said Huffman kicked the four-year-old victim.

“She told me that Brandon [Huffman] threatened to punch [child victim] and then kicked him when [adult female victim] was not looking,” White wrote in the report. “The kick caused [child victim] to fall backward, the distance she described was about five feet from where [child victim] was kicked to where he landed.”

Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield ordered Huffman held on $25,000 bond. A preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 3, 2016.