SLAYTON — A Slayton man has been charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony-level offense. He also faces a misdemeanor assault charge, and two counts of disorderly conduct.
On Feb. 25, Slayton police officers responded to a residence to investigate a report of domestic assault. Responders were informed by Murray County dispatch that a knife was reportedly involved.
Upon arrival, officers found John Marvin Simmons II, 35, laying on the sidewalk in front of the building with his hands behind his back. When asked, he informed officers that the knife was upstairs and he was placed in handcuffs.
Officers reportedly learned Simmons and another individual were to be evicted from their apartment the following day, and two other individuals had been at the apartment to help them collect their belongings.
According to the report, Simmons repeatedly requested to be taken to jail, stating he was going to be homeless anyway and needed a place to stay. He stated multiple times that he had gone after one of the individuals with a knife after an argument had broken out concerning a storage unit.
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Simmons reportedly stated that after one individual approached him with the intention of “giving him something to fight about,” Simmons had punched him in the face. He also alleged that a second individual had put their hands around his throat.
Simmons again stated he had gone after another building resident, the victim, with a knife, while outside, but that he had only wanted the victim to go back inside. Simmons said he put the knife upstairs and laid down on the ground outside. He was placed under arrest.
Officers then spoke with another resident of the apartment who stated she and Simmons were trying to collect their belongings because they were required to be out of the apartment by the next day. She stated that Simmons became agitated and that a family member started yelling at Simmons, making matters worse.
Officers were granted permission to enter the apartment and retrieve the knife.
Officers spoke with the victim who stated that Simmons and the resident were yelling at each other all day and that it had gotten to the point where he wanted to say something to them. When the victim opened the door to ask what was going on, Simmons reportedly pulled a knife and told him to get back inside. The victim said he was afraid and went back into the building and locked the door.
Simmons was transported to the Murray County Sheriff's Office and later to the Lyon County Jail, where he was booked and held for court. Conditional bail for Simmons was set at $25,000 and his initial court appearance was scheduled for March 6.
If convicted, Simmons faces no more than seven years imprisonment and/or a $14,000 fine for the charge of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon. The maximum sentence for the three misdemeanor charges is 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Note: This article was written based on information reported by local law enforcement agencies. The Globe reminds readers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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The Southwest Crisis Center is available in our community to support and empower survivors of sexual and domestic violence. For questions about services or how you can help, contact the Southwest Crisis Center at 1-800-376-4311 or mnswcc.org .
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