Colfax man receives extraordinary sentence for assaulting a nurse

COLFAX — A Colfax man received an extraordinary sentence for assaulting a nurse in Colfax this summer.

The Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney announced in a news release Thursday that Christopher Huckaby, 51, was convicted of felony assault in superior court following a jury trial. Whitman County Judge Gary Libey sentenced him to 18 months in prison, which is above the maximum of the standard range.

The news release said Huckaby was being treated for ingesting methamphetamine at the Whitman Hospital and Medical Clinics in July. He intentionally assaulted one of the nurses despite being restrained to a bed.

The maximum punishment is usually eight months in jail, however the news release said Libey agreed with the prosecution to impose an exceptional sentence. Shortly before the incident, Huckaby had been released from custody on a previous conviction.

“We are a rural community and it is important to all of us to keep good nurses in our hospitals, clinics, and our community. This type of opportunistic and predatory behavior will not, and should not, be tolerated,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Tessa Scholl said in the news release.