Whitefish man involved in two felony cases sees one dismissed
May 8—A Whitefish man charged with multiple felonies in 2023 and 2024 received a suspended jail sentence in one case while a judge dismissed a second.
Douglas Trent Zellers, 29, picked up a burglary charge after allegedly beating down the door of a Kalispell apartment and attacking a man inside on Aug. 20, 2023. He pleaded not guilty before Judge Danni Coffman at his arraignment on Sept. 7 of that same year.
Witnesses told investigators with the Kalispell Police Department that Zellers had publicized his plans to attack the victim prior to the Sixth Avenue West home invasion, according to court documents. After getting past the door, Zellers allegedly grabbed the victim and tossed him outside before punching and strangling him.
Investigators described the door to the apartment as badly damaged in court documents. The victim suffered from abrasions on his limbs and sported red marks around his neck, according to court documents.
In May 2024, prosecutors amended the charge to misdemeanor assault, of which Zellers was convicted. Coffman sentenced Zellers to six months in the county jail with all, but 11 days suspended. She gave him credit for 11 days of time served and ordered him to pay $200 in restitution to the Flathead County Attorney's Office.
As that case wound through the courthouse, prosecutors brought Zellers up on two counts of felony assault on a peace officer following a New Year's Day incident near Kalispell.
Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Zellers while responding to a disturbance call at a home near Kalispell in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2024. Zellers allegedly became combative as deputies attempted to put him into a patrol car. He headbutted one deputy and kicked another, court documents said.
Zellers pleaded not guilty to the charges on Jan. 11, 2024. In March of that year, his attorneys sought to see the case dismissed, accusing the Sheriff's Office of illegally entering his home without a warrant to arrest him. Judge Amy Eddy, who presided over the case, agreed and granted the motion the following month.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.
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