Husband brought up on felony charge after allegedly assaulting and strangling his wife

A 20-year-old man from Kalispell, Malakai Steven Long, is facing felony aggravated assault charges in Flathead County District Court after allegedly assaulting his wife and threatening her with a knife. During an arraignment on March 13, Long pleaded not guilty before Judge Paul Sullivan, who scheduled an omnibus hearing for August 20 and a pretrial conference for September 17.

The incidents leading to Long's arrest began on March 2 during an argument at their home on Farm to Market Road, where he reportedly became verbally abusive and threatened to kill both his wife and her family. The following day, he is accused of physically restraining her from leaving the house. Tensions escalated on March 4, when Long expressed his desire for a divorce, which provoked his wife to slap him. In retaliation, Long allegedly pushed her down, punched her, and strangled her for around 45 seconds.

According to court documents, after the choking incident, Long grabbed a knife from a bedside drawer and held it to his wife's neck. In a moment of self-harm, he cut his wrist with the knife before fleeing on foot. Upon their arrival, deputies found a folding knife at the scene, as well as physical evidence of the assault, including bruises on the victim.

Long was arrested on March 4, and during questioning, he reportedly admitted to assaulting his wife, claiming he acted without thinking and wanted to scare her. He also confessed to threatening both himself and his wife with a knife. His admissions to the assaults and threats were documented by law enforcement during the investigation.

If convicted of the charges against him, Long could face up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $50,000. Additionally, since a dangerous weapon was involved, he may incur an extended sentence of two to 10 additional years.