Man Charged After Chasing People with Machete at Roseville Park
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A man allegedly waved a machete at strangers near a Roseville park and swung it at a passerby who tried to intervene, then threw the weapon behind a tree as deputies arrived.
Christopher Michael Lewis, 35, of Saint Paul, faces a felony charge of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. The complaint was filed this week in Ramsey County Court.
Deputies responded around 6:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, to the 1800 block of Rice Street in Roseville to assist Roseville police with an assault call. Dispatch reported a man chasing people around the park with a machete, court documents say.
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Two women told deputies they'd been sitting in their vehicle when Lewis, who they didn't know, gestured for them to come over from a nearby park table. They got out and began walking toward him. As they approached each other, Lewis told them the reason he didn't hit them was “because they were ladies,” the complaint states.
A man who'd been walking south on Rice Street noticed the altercation and walked over to help. Lewis turned his attention to the passerby, pulled a machete from his waist and started walking toward him, yelling and swinging the blade at him, according to court records.
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When deputies arrived, they found Lewis standing next to a tree. As a deputy exited the squad, Lewis threw a black machete behind the tree and voluntarily got into the prone position. He was taken into custody without further incident, the complaint states.
During a search, deputies found a hammer in Lewis's pants pocket along with tinfoil containing suspected methamphetamine. The substance later tested positive for meth.
While being arrested, Lewis made several spontaneous statements, including admitting to possessing the machete and the methamphetamine. He told deputies he got a "little aggressive" and "flashed my f***ing blade," which "was the dumbest s*** ever," court records show. He also said, "I deserve jail, I f***ed up, I shouldn't have threatened the women."
Lewis is in custody on $20,000 bail. Second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine.
Creshawn Depre Pryor, 22, of Saint Paul, faces charges of second-degree intentional murder, attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault causing great bodily harm.