North Dakota man accused of stabbing woman with pliers while she was talking: report
A North Dakota man has been charged after a domestic dispute allegedly turned violent.
Earlier this week, authorities in Fargo received a call from a woman who claimed she had been stabbed. Police arrived at the apartment around 8:26 p.m. Police observed two circular cuts near her elbows and other red marks on her chest and neck. The woman, whose name has not been released, reportedly told police that a man Michael David Schaafr, became angry with her after witnessing her talking loudly to another person.
Her relationship with Schaeffer is unclear.
Shafer allegedly began breaking items in the apartment out of frustration before pushing her against a wall and strangling her for about a minute. The woman claimed that when she asked him to stop, he allegedly grabbed a pair of pliers and stabbed them into her elbow.
Shafer allegedly left the home after the argument, but he was found by police at the entrance to the apartment building upon his return. He was arrested and taken to the Cass County Jail on Thursday, Jan. 22, charged with aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon or other weapon and domestic violence/assault causing serious bodily injury.
Schaefer’s arraignment is scheduled for Friday, January 23.
He has denied all the allegations against him and accused the woman of being the perpetrator in the alleged attack.
In North Dakota, aggravated assault is typically charged as a Class B or Class C felony, depending on the circumstances and the victim involved. If convicted, penalties could include up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Meanwhile, under the Reichert Law, a first-time domestic violence assault may result in up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.
Christopher Brayton, a Missouri man, was recently arrested after police say he broke into a home he previously shared with his ex-girlfriend before allegedly climbing into her bed and assaulting her. Brayton, 31, was charged with domestic violence for his role in two separate domestic violence incidents that occurred on different dates in October. […]
The North Dakota Domestic and Sexual Violence Coalition reports that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men “have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and report impacts related to intimate partner violence in their lifetime.”
This isn’t Schaefer’s first run-in with police. In 2019, the Metro Street Crime Unit arrested him and four others over a search of a stolen vehicle, Valley News Live reported.
Andrew John Patrick Collison was taken into custody for possession of marijuana, felony possession of drug paraphernalia, refusing to stop, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, providing false information to law enforcement and having an open warrant. Others arrested include Linda Lou Poitrahe was also cited for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, Sean Michael Schwandtarrested for aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and possession of marijuana wax, and James Edward Martinezhe was charged with misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine, ingestion of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Schafer, 28 at the time, was being held on suspicion of violating his probation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
