A fight left him with a 9-inch gash in his neck. He didn’t want his friend charged

A Kennewick man was left with a 9-inch-long gash on his throat during an argument last Saturday with a friend over a woman, prosecutors say.

A third friend reportedly used his cellphone to record the fight and ensuing throat-slashing that involved Evan M. Strother and Lyle Montoure.

Montoure, 51, required emergency surgery to close the wound caused by a folding knife. Three days later, he remained hospitalized and was breathing with the assistance of a ventilator, according to court documents.

In a brief interview with Kennewick police before surgery March 31, Montoure said he didn’t believe his friend was trying to harm him and did not want Strother charged with a crime, documents said.

Strother, also 51, is locked up in the Benton County jail on $25,000 bail.

He pleaded innocent Thursday in Benton County Superior Court to second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. His trial is scheduled May 21.

Strother went to Montoure’s place at the Heatherstone Apartments on Saturday afternoon and was going to drive Montoure’s girlfriend to the store when Montoure and Darrin Lee returned.

Lee, who’s known both men for years, told police that Montoure believed Strother was having a sexual relationship with his girlfriend, court documents said.

Lee started recording video on his phone as the two friends argued. Montoure told Strother to leave his West 10th Avenue home, documents said.

The first video allegedly shows Strother get into his car and close the door as Montoure walks away.

Lee told officers that the two looked like they were going to physically fight, but neither threw any punches.

He said he stopped recording at that point because the argument appeared over with Strother driving away and Montoure loading wood into a vehicle in his nearby garage.

But then Strother stopped his car and yelled something, leading Montoure to run from his garage and argue more with his friend through the driver’s side window, court documents said.

Lee started recording again.

The second video allegedly shows Montoure holding a metal clamp at his side and using his knee to keep the door from opening, as he told Strother to drive away.

Strother can be seen reaching out of his open window and quickly slashing at Montoure’s throat, documents said. Montoure then grabs his neck and drops to his knees.

Lee said Strother drove away after using a silver Gerber knife to cut Montoure, who was bleeding profusely.

Another resident ran to Montoure’s aid and applied pressure with his shirt, telling Lee he needed to drive Montoure to the hospital, court documents said.

A witness said he saw Strother back up to Montoure’s garage and begin “popping off,” then watched as Montoure reached through car window during the argument, documents said.

The man went outside to see Montoure drop to the ground, and claimed he heard Strother yell, “I told you not to do it.”

Strother was arrested later Saturday at a Richland home after police received a tip about his location. His thumb was bleeding but he declined medical care.

Strother told police where they could find his bloody clothes. A search of his car allegedly turned up a folding knife on the front passenger seat.

During a two-hour police interview, Strother admitted slashing his friend with a knife but said it was in self-defense because he was being bullied.

He initially claimed that he was in a tight parking spot and couldn’t get away from Montoure. Then, when shown the video, said his car frequently stalls and he must not have been able to drive away, court documents said.

He couldn’t explain the cut to his own thumb, but said Montoure was pulling his hair and strangling him, documents said. He was surprised to see in the video that Montoure was holding a metal clamp.

This story was originally published April 5, 2018 at 6:15 PM with the headline "A fight left him with a 9-inch gash in his neck. He didn’t want his friend charged."