Man jailed for kicking deputy

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County man was hit with a felony offense for allegedly kicking a sheriff’s deputy who arrested him on suspicion of drunken driving early Saturday morning.

Matthew Russell Butchko is charged with battery on a law officer, in addition to misdemeanor charges of drunken driving, resisting arrest and possession of an open container of alcohol.

Butchko’s bail was set at $3,100 on Monday.

Deputy Phil Stella said in his report that the pickup truck Butchko was driving swerved into his lane of travel on Highway 200 near Colburn Culver Road and he stopped the vehicle.

Butchko, a 38-year-old Gold Creek resident, allegedly failed field sobriety tests and began to resist arrest as he was put in handcuffs, the arrest report said. Butchko refused to get into the back of Stella’s patrol rig and kicked him in the left leg. He is also accused of trying to break away from the deputy, but Stella reportedly tackled him to the ground, which split Butchko’s lip and chipped a tooth.