Man Charged With Felony Assault in St. Cloud Stabbing

ST. CLOUD -- A man is charged with stabbing another man Saturday night after he was told he couldn't smoke methamphetamine in the victim's St. Cloud apartment.

Fifty-seven-year-old Melvin Kingbird is charged with 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and felony drug possession.

Police were called for a welfare check on Sunday in the 2600 block of 16th Street South. Officers met with a man who said he had been stabbed the night before but refused to seek medical attention.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim was letting a homeless woman stay at his place when her boyfriend, Kingbird, arrived and asked if he could smoke meth inside the apartment. When the victim said no Kingbird allegedly got angry, picked up a bat, and hit the victim across the face, knocking him down. Kingbird is accused of kicking the man in the chest three times while he was on the ground.

As the victim got up, records show Kingbird grabbed a 6-inch buck knife and stabbed the other man in the stomach. The victim was able to push Kingbird away at the same time, preventing a deep puncture wound.

Kingbird then allegedly took $20 from the victim's shirt pocket and stole his cell phone and two candleholders. Kingbird and the woman then left the scene together.

The victim later sought help from neighbors who then called police.

Kingbird was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Stearns County Jail. He also has another case pending in Stearns County for DWI, test refusal, and drug possession.