A St. Paul pastor is facing a felony charge after authorities say he stabbed his girlfriend's ex during a late-night confrontation on Marion Street. Prosecutors allege that 61-year-old Terrence Philip Walker Sr. attacked a 39-year-old man on June 25, leaving the victim with a severe abdominal wound that required immediate surgery at Regions Hospital. Walker is charged with one count of felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and is scheduled to appear in Ramsey County District Court on July 23.
According to court documents reviewed by law enforcement, the confrontation unfolded around 10:45 p.m. on the 1100 block of Marion Street and began as a dispute over tools and a receipt. A woman who was present told police she saw Walker "swing" his arms, and the man's daughter reported hearing a "slashing" sound before seeing Walker lunge repeatedly at her father. Walker told officers the other man pounded on his door, threatened him and said he had a gun in his car. When police asked Walker about the weapon involved, he pointed to a razor blade that was recovered, the criminal complaint states, as reported by the Pioneer Press.
Legal Context
Under Minnesota law, assault in the second degree, which includes assault with a dangerous weapon, is a felony offense. Minn. Stat. 609.222 allows prison terms of up to seven years for an assault with a dangerous weapon and up to 10 years if the assault results in substantial bodily harm, according to Minn. Stat. 609.222.
Conflicting Accounts and Injuries
Investigators say the 39-year-old victim was found bleeding with an abdominal wound that exposed internal tissue and was taken to Regions Hospital for emergency surgery. The man later told police he had been stabbed with a long, serrated hunting knife and disputed Walker's account of how the altercation started. Walker, according to the complaint, has said he pulled a knife only after being grabbed and hit. The charging document lists a single count of felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and notes that Walker is due in Ramsey County court on July 23, per the Pioneer Press.
Next Steps
Court records identify Walker as a pastor at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in St. Paul. He remains charged as the case moves through Ramsey County courts, where prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to return for additional hearings that will determine whether the case heads to trial or is resolved beforehand.
