A 35-year-old Minneapolis man faces criminal charges after a fight outside a local establishment in downtown Brainerd — where witnesses claim he pulled out a knife with its blade fully extended.
Dwayne Joseph Bergman was charged Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Crow Wing County District Court in Brainerd for felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, gross misdemeanor fifth-degree assault and three misdemeanors of fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct for fighting and for possessing pharmacy drugs.
According to the probable cause document filed in court against Bergman, the charges stem from an incident from the night of Feb. 8. A Brainerd police officer was on routine patrol when he observed several parties on the northeast corner of the intersection of Laurel and South Seventh streets in downtown Brainerd. Individuals were frantically pointing toward the 300 block of South Seventh Street. The officer stopped to investigate and learned there had been an altercation outside a local establishment. It was learned Bergman was outside the establishment when he struck a woman across the face knocking her down. This upset the woman's significant other, who was being held back by another person. Another person stepped in and attempted to break things up. While doing so Bergman hit that person in the right side of the head several times causing swelling. Witnesses stated to police that at some point Bergman pulled a knife and with the blade fully extended and he began slashing it at the woman’s significant other, while he was being held back. Witnesses to the incident stated Bergman was the instigator and aggressor of the incident, the complaint stated.
Bergman was convicted of fifth-degree assault in April 2018, court records indicated.
Bergman, who continued to be in Crow Wing County Jail Sunday, is scheduled to appear next in court Feb. 27.
