A man is facing assault charges after he allegedly threatened to kill a man with a knife and injured a woman who tried to take the knife from him in Winlock early Saturday morning.
According to witnesses, the defendant, Adam L. Walter, 41, of Randle, was inside a trailer in Winlock when the male victim heard Walter say he was going to kill him. The victim reportedly approached the trailer “and asked Walter if he was going to kill him and Walter said ‘yes,’” according to court documents.
Walter then allegedly grabbed a knife and began approaching the male victim — at which point the female victim reportedly grabbed the knife in an attempt to disarm him. The male victim put Walter in a head lock until the female victim was able to get the knife out of Walter’s hand and throw it out of Walter’s reach, according to court documents.
The female victim sustained a serious injury on her hand from grabbing the knife and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Court documents do not indicate whether the male victim sustained injuries.
When Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on the scene, Walter was reportedly laying in a ditch.
“Walter told deputies he was sorry and he did not mean to cut (the female victim),” according to court documents.
Walter was arrested and was booked into the Lewis County Jail just after 5:20 a.m. on July 17 and is being held on a $100,000 bail pending a competency evaluation.
“Mr. Walter gave me permission to tell the court he does suffer from brain damage,” said defense attorney Rachael Tiller at Walter’s preliminary appearance in Lewis County Jail on July 19. According to Tiller, Walter sustained the damage as a child.
While Walter has no prior criminal history, Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher requested the high bail amount due to the violent nature of the alleged facts of the case.
In addition to setting the bail amount, Judge Joely O’Rourke approved Meagher’s request for an anti-harassment order in favor of the two victims, which prevents Walter from going within 500 feet of the victims or their residences and prohibits contact between Walter and the victims for the duration of the court case.
“I agree with that. I don’t want to talk to them,” said Walter when O’Rourke presented him with the anti-harassment order.
Walter’s next court appearance is an arraignment hearing scheduled for July 22.
