A Duluth man stabbed another man in the chest after an argument over garbage being thrown into his car, causing a collapsed lung and sending the victim to the intensive care unit, according to charges.
Travis Lee Anthony Shockley, 38, faces charges of first-degree assault, fifth-degree drug possession and fleeing police by a means other than a motor vehicle. The charges were filed Friday, August 21 in Saint Louis County District Court.
According to the complaint, Duluth police responded at about 10:20 p.m. on August 13 to a report of a stabbing at an address in Duluth. Officers found the victim, an adult male, walking into the emergency department at St. Luke’s Hospital with a significant amount of blood on his clothing. The victim told officers that he had been stabbed by Shockley after he threw some garbage into Shockley’s car, which made Shockley angry.
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The complaint states that Shockley pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in the upper right chest. Officers observed the stab wound, and medical staff determined the victim had suffered a collapsed lung. A chest tube was inserted to drain air and blood from his chest cavity, and the victim was admitted to the intensive care unit for monitoring and treatment.
Six days later, on August 19 at about 2:00 p.m., a Duluth police officer spotted Shockley riding an electric bike westbound on the sidewalk in the lower side of the 100 block of West 1st Street. The officer activated his emergency lights and siren, but Shockley looked over, turned his bike around and began biking quickly south on 1st Avenue West. The officer followed and ordered Shockley to pull over. Shockley eventually dropped his bike and got onto the ground, where he was arrested.
During a search, officers found a white crystal-like substance in the front right pocket of Shockley’s grey shorts. The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 1.65 grams, according to court records.
Shockley is charged with first-degree assault for causing great bodily harm, fifth-degree drug possession for having methamphetamine and fleeing a peace officer by a means other than a motor vehicle for attempting to escape on an electric bike.
A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). First-degree assault, alleging great bodily harm, carries up to 20 years in prison. The lower degrees range from gross-misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.
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Jurisdictional Context
Saint Louis County is Minnesota’s largest county by area, stretching from Duluth to the Canadian border. The Saint Louis County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies through the Sixth Judicial District; cases are heard at the Saint Louis County Courthouse in Duluth and the Virginia courthouse for cases north of the iron range.
