Charges: St. Paul Man, 30, Randomly Attacked Pedestrian With Knife

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 30-year-old St. Paul man is accused of a randomly assaulting a person with a knife last week, according to charges filed in Dakota County.

Darell Deandray Johnson faces second-degree assault in connection to the Sept. 16, 2015 incident.

According to the criminal complaint, a male victim was walking toward his residence at 494 Carol Avenue in St. Paul when a man emerged from some bushes, grabbed the victim in a bear hug and began to slash the victim with a knife.

The victim fell to the ground and kicked the man attacking him. The man continued to slash the victim several times on his face and body with the knife until the victim got free and the man fled.

The victim suffered a number of cuts to his face, arms and legs, but none of the cuts were severe enough to require stitches.

When the victim described the attacker, police realized they had encountered the man before. They determined the man was Johnson and the victim selected Johnson among a photo array, the complaint said.

After Johnson's arrest, he gave police different accounts of his whereabouts during the time of the incident. At one point he said he was involved in an altercation with a light-skinned black male near the Dorthy Day Center, but the other man produced a pocket knife so he walked away. Johnson denied carrying any weapon for protection or any other reason, the complaint said.

If convicted, Johnson could face up to seven years in prison and/or a $14,000 fine.