Nelson
Murphy – A man was stabbed last week while reportedly seeking street justice following a vehicle theft, and police are working to determine whether the suspect deserves assault charges.
“There’s some question as to whether it was self-defense,” Murphy assistant police chief Dustin Smith said.
Isaiah Zavier Nelson, 28, is accused of stealing a vehicle from a business on Tennessee Street around 3:20 p.m. April 20. Shortly after the theft, two men employed at the business saw the vehicle and chased it without calling 911 for help.
The suspect initially evaded the duo, who later found him at Konehete Park, according to officials, who say Nelson exited the vehicle and ran from the two men, who were both carrying weapons.
Police say one of them carried a machete, while the other brandished a stick, as the men chased Nelson near a playground, where the physical altercation happened. One of the men was on the phone with police when they clashed with Nelson, according to officials, who say a 38-year-old man suffered multiple stab wounds, including at least one to his chest.
Nelson then ran back to the vehicle and fled to Wilson Street, where he dumped it and fled on foot. Authorities found him behind a restaurant on Andrews Road.
“There’s a lot of pieces to put together, and that’s why we didn’t rush to charge him for the stabbing,” Smith said. “We want to make sure we put everything together and get everything right.”
The stabbing victim was flown to a hospital in Tennessee and later released. Nelson, who has an extensive history of involvement with law enforcement, is charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, armed to terrorize the public and three counts of assault on a government official, which resulted from an altercation inside the jail after his arrest.
As of the Cherokee Scout’s press time Tuesday morning, Nelson has not been charged with assault in the stabbing.
“Regardless of his history, he’s still entitled to his rights,” Smith said. “We’re not going to charge him with this without looking at the whole story.”