On November 23, 2025, at approximately 5:53 P.M., Saint Paul Officers responded to the area of [ADDRESS REDACTED], Saint Paul, County of Ramsey, on a call involving a victim that was stabbed with a machete. Officer Heuer responded and met LAK at the unsheltered encampment area near Warner Road and Fish Hatchery. LAK had a medium size laceration to his left arm. LAK said Vermon Williams (later identified as VERNARD JHAMEAL WILLIAMS, [DOB REDACTED]), assaulted him with a machete. LAK was transported to Regions Hospital.
At Regions Hospital, LAK spoke with Officer Heuer. He said he has been bullied by WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS has tried to steal items from him. LAK said a friend gave him a generator. WILLIAMS tried to take the generator the day prior, but he did not allow him to take it. Today (November 23rd), WILLIAMS returned to his tent, placed the generator on a metal cart, and started walking back to his tent with it. LAK stopped WILLIAMS midway between his tent and WILLIAMS’s tent. WILLIAMS produced a machete and hit him twice in the arm with the machete.
LAK said he was afraid for his life and feared WILLIAMS would hurt or kill him. LAK described the suspect to police and advised he lived in a tent along the south fence line. Officers searched the unsheltered encampment for WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS was found inside a tent, and was arrested. A machete was found in the tent. WILLIAMS said he did not do anything wrong and denied having a knife. After a Miranda advisory, WILLIAMS spoke with Sgt. Davis. WILLIAMS said he has been living at the unsheltered camp for over a month to give back to the community.
He refurbishes tents and teaches people how to live in good environments. WILLIAMS said he has known LAK for one to two years and has known his girlfriend for over sixteen years. WILLIAMS said he loaned his Mitsubishi generator to LAK two to four weeks ago. He went to get his generator and loaded it onto a cart. LAK ran after him with an axe and yelled, “You ain’t taking my s***!” He told LAK to get back, but LAK went after him with an axe. WILLIAMS said he defended himself with a machete that he carried on his belt.
WILLIAMS said police found him in his friend’s tent. They recovered his machete from the tent.
