Man Accused of Trying to Run Down Woman with Child in Car
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A 34-year-old man is charged after prosecutors say a domestic assault escalated into an attempt to strike a woman with his vehicle while their young child was inside.
The incident happened around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, near a Speedway gas station along West River Road in Brooklyn Center.
Pierre Pearson Joplin, of Brooklyn Center, is charged with felony threats of violence and felony domestic assault. According to the criminal complaint, officers were dispatched after a woman reported that Joplin, identified as the father of her child, had attacked her and fled in a white Hyundai Tucson.
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Investigators say the woman told officers she had been riding in the back seat of the vehicle when Joplin started hitting her. She reported pulling out a pair of scissors to defend herself, at which point Joplin grabbed them, causing cuts to her hands. Officers documented injuries consistent with her statement.
According to the court documents, the woman escaped from the vehicle near Highway 252 and East River Road where she ran across the southbound lanes while their five-year-old child remained inside. Prosecutors allege Joplin then made a U-turn from northbound Highway 252 and swerved the vehicle toward the shoulder in an apparent attempt to strike her before driving away.
Surveillance video obtained from the Speedway location reportedly observed the vehicle swerving toward the woman during the incident.
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Authorities say Joplin later sent text messages to the woman threatening to leave their child at random locations in the street and telling her she would need to find the child.
Court records show Joplin has prior domestic-related convictions, including a third-degree assault conviction in August 2025 and two misdemeanor order for protection violations in November 2023. Prosecutors requested higher bail, citing the severity of the allegations, repeated domestic assault conduct, warrant status in other cases and a prior fugitive status in Wisconsin at one point in 2025.
Joplin was arrested Feb. 12 and made an initial court appearance the next day. A judge set bail at $15,000 with conditions that include no contact with the victim, no possession of weapons, to remain law-abiding, electronic monitoring and making all required court appearances.
