Spokane man sentenced to five years for beating, stabbing girlfriend

A federal judge sentenced a Spokane man to five years in prison for hitting and stabbing his girlfriend multiple times in 2018.

Tommie Joe Flett, 47, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on July 18 to Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender in Indian Country, the office of the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Washington said in a press release.

The sentence imposed by District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. also specifies that Flett will be under court supervision for three years after he is released from federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, on the evening of July 11, 2018, Flett traveled with his girlfriend to Owhi Lake in Okanogan County. While there, Flett became upset with his girlfriend, pulled her out of a car, and hit her several times in the face. Flett’s girlfriend was able to get away and walked several miles to Nespelem, where Flett found her and again began striking her in the face. Flett then brandished a knife and stabbed his girlfriend multiple times in her leg and hands. Fortunately, a third-party intervened, protecting the girlfriend from further physical harm.

Flett already had multiple prior convictions for assault against a spouse or intimate partner, making Flett a habitual offender under federal law.

“The sentence imposed by the Court removes a serial abuser from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to engage in such criminal activity,” U.S. Attorney Hyslop said. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, the FBI and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Police are committed to investigating and prosecuting violent crimes occurring in the exterior boundaries of the Colville Indian Reservation.”

The case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police. It was prosecuted by Richard R. Barker and Alison L. Gregoire, assistant U.S. attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.