×

Man sentenced on menacing charge

A 35-year-old Minot man entered an Alford plea to Class A misdemeanor menacing on Wednesday in district court in Minot.

Kevin Uzai Johnson had originally been charged with terrorizing, a Class C felony, and accused of throwing knives at his ex-girlfriend during a dispute on Oct. 11. An Alford plea means Johnson disputes some of the facts of the case but acknowledges he might be found guilty if the case went to trial.

According to court records, Judge Gary Lee sentenced Johnson to 360 days in jail, all suspended except for the three days he already served, and one year of supervised probation. Johnson must also complete an anger management class and pay $625 in fines.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case, Johnson’s ex-girlfriend had gone out to get cigars. She left them near the couch where she believed Johnson was sleeping.

As she was walking away into her bedroom, she heard Johnson yelling and two or three knives strike the wall and floor in the hallway behind her. Police found one knife on the front door of the house, one on the floor in the hallway between two bedrooms, and one in the kitchen trash. Johnson disputed that account and said it was a misunderstanding. He allegedly said he had handed the knives to his girlfriend and one of them slid down the hallway when he was giving them to her.

The couple’s 5- and 2-year-old sons were sleeping in the apartment at the time of the incident.

– Andrea Johnson

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today