A Missoula County detention officer has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault involving an altercation with an inmate.
    
The Missoulian reports (http://bit.ly/UQZujx) that Warren Soss of Florence pleaded no contest Friday and was sentenced to a suspended six months in jail and ordered to pay $135 in fines and court costs.
    
Soss was placed on leave Nov. 13, a day after he and another officer entered the cell of an inmate with a history of stabbing officers with pencils, biting them and spitting on them.
    
Authorities say the inmate attempted to leave the cell and one officer held the inmate's left arm while Soss punched the inmate multiple times in the head and torso. Soss was fired four days later.
    
Authorities said Soss used too much force to control the inmate.