A Clearwater County complaint says a dispute over belongings led to a metal-pole strike that damaged a vehicle. Wendell Roy Cloud, 23, was charged November 2 with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and first-degree damage to property.
The complaint, as reported by MN Crime, says a Clearwater County deputy went to a home in the county at about 3:31 p.m. October 31 after a report that two people were fighting with metal poles. The deputy found Cloud in the yard and handcuffed him because weapons had been reported. The deputy also noted that Cloud appeared to be under the influence of controlled substances.
Cloud told the deputy he and the other man had argued inside and outside the house. He said he picked up a metal pole and swung at the man, missed, and hit a vehicle instead. Cloud said he swung the pole because he wanted his belongings back, according to the complaint.
Conflicting Accounts From Witnesses
The other man gave differing accounts, the complaint says. He initially told the deputy that Cloud swung the pole at the vehicle, then said Cloud might have tried to hit him and missed. A woman at the home said Cloud struck the vehicle with the pole.
Cloud told the deputy he had bought items from the other man and that they had gone missing. The deputy reportedly found the items Cloud described inside his backpack, according to the complaint.
Damage and a Dent Repair Estimate
The complaint describes a large dent in the vehicle's driver's-side quarter panel, with paint damage extending to the bare metal. A dent repair specialist told the deputy that a proper repair could cost thousands of dollars; no final estimate or repair cost has been disclosed.
Deputies found several knives and a syringe during a search of Cloud, according to the complaint.
What Minnesota Law Says About the Charges
Minnesota's Section 609.222 allows a sentence of up to seven years in prison, a fine of up to $14,000, or both for second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. That is the statutory maximum, not an indication of what sentence, if any, would apply in Cloud's case. It remains unclear whether Cloud has entered a plea or appeared in court on the charges.
How Minnesota law addresses the charges
For first-degree criminal damage to property, Minnesota's Section 609.595 provides for up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both when one of its listed conditions applies. Those conditions include a reasonably foreseeable risk of bodily harm or damage that reduces the property's value by more than $1,000, measured by repair and replacement costs. The statutes set possible penalties and conditions; they do not establish that the allegations in this case have been proven.
