The victim stabbed during the early morning hours Friday, April 9, in northeast Brainerd, told police it was over a drug exchange, according to court documents filed in the assault.
Charges were filed Monday in Crow Wing County District Court in Brainerd against the three men who were arrested in the case.
Jessey Duane Johnson, 28, of Deerwood faces two felony counts of second- and third-degree assault charges using a dangerous weapon and causing bodily harm.
Daniel Richard Lasart, 45, of Federal Dam, faces felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
Jason Howard Mattsen, 42, of Brainerd faces a felony for violating a no-contact order, which is not related to the stabbing incident itself, but he was at the residence when the other two men were arrested and he was in violation of the no-contact order.
According to the court documents filed against the three men, Brainerd police were called at 1:35 a.m. Friday to suspicious activity on the 100 block of First Avenue Northeast. The 911 dispatcher told officers two men were banging on the back door and one of the men was yelling, but the reporting party could not understand what he was saying.
The man knocking on the door was wearing baggy clothing, jeans and had curly hair, and was later identified as the person who had been stabbed. The victim told police he had been stabbed by one man and threatened with a knife by another man. The victim was brought to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.
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Police took a taped statement from the victim, who said he set up a drug exchange over the phone with Johnson. The victim met Johnson near the alleyway on the 100 block of Second Avenue Northeast by the car lot. The victim bought a bag of methamphetamine from Johnson for $205 but said he knew the substance Johnson gave him was not real methamphetamine when he tasted some of it, court documents stated. The victim told Johnson he wanted his money back, but Johnson would not give it back to him. When the victim grabbed onto Johnson’s jacket, telling Johnson to give him his money, Johnson stabbed him.
Two other men arrived. One was later identified as Lasart, who had a small buck knife in his hand, about 5 inches long. Lasart allegedly told the victim he was going to stab him and the victim said he became fearful and ran to the first house he saw, which was the 100 block of First Avenue Northeast. The suspects left east through the alley.
The victim was shown photographs of the suspected men involved in the altercation and identified Johnson as the man who stabbed him and Lasart as the man who threatened him with the knife.
Officers used a K-9 officer to track the suspects. Both Johnson and Lasart were located and arrested at a residence on First Avenue Northeast in Brainerd.
In a statement to police, Johnson said he didn’t remember details other than he was going to meet the victim in an alley and sell him $60 worth of marijuana. Johnson said the victim hit him first, was trying to steal from him and Johnson didn’t remember how the victim was stabbed. Lasart declined to provide a statement.
The resident whose house Johnson and Lasart were arrested at told officers when Johnson came to the residence he was bleeding from a fresh injury on his eye and the top of his head. When the resident asked what happened Johnson pulled out a knife and said, “I think I stabbed him, too.” Officers located a silver handled folding knife wedged down in a chair cushion at the residence, along with $569 in cash and a small baggie of suspected marijuana.
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Mattsen was not involved in the stabbing, but was at the residence when police arrested Johnson and Lasart. The resident has a domestic abuse-no contact order against Mattsen and since the two were together, he was in violation of the order and arrested.
With Friday’s incident, Mattsen faces a total of seven felonies and two gross misdemeanors related to several domestic assault incidents. Mattsen also has prior qualified domestic violence related convictions, including domestic assault in February 2012 and a misdemeanor assault from December 2012 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
All three men are in the Crow Wing County Jail. Mattsen’s next court hearing is April 29 on the violation of the no-contact order. The judge ordered a $200,000 bond with no conditions.
Johnson’s next court hearing is April 29 and Lasart’s is April 22. Both are being held on $30,000 bail with no conditions or $75,000 with conditions, including no contact with the victims; not possessing or using a firearm or any dangerous weapon; and not using alcohol or controlled substances or entering any bar or liquor establishment.
