Cass County ( trfnews.i234.me ) – A North Dakota District Court judge has ruled there is sufficient probable cause for an attempted murder case in Fargo to move forward against a man from Arizona.
According to court records, Calvin Phillips, of Arondale, Arizona, faces felony charges of Attempted Murder and Aggravated Assault. The charges stem from a stabbing incident that occurred on June 8 in downtown Fargo.
At 2:57 a.m., police responded to an apartment in the 100 block of Roberts Street North and found a man lying on the floor with a stab wound to his arm. Court documents state the victim had been introduced to Phillips just minutes earlier. When the victim reached out for a handshake, Phillips allegedly replied, “You better watch yourself.”
Video surveillance from the area captured the victim screaming “Stop” several times at 2:32 a.m. Investigators say Phillips, without provocation, pulled out a knife and began swinging at the victim, who used his arms to block strikes aimed at his chest, stomach, and face. The victim eventually escaped and ran northbound from Roberts Alley before being taken by FM Ambulance to Sanford ER, where he required a blood transfusion due to blood loss.
During a preliminary hearing on August 27, Fargo Police Investigator Heidi Witzel testified that the victim told officers Phillips threatened him by saying, “I’m going to gut you,” before swinging the knife multiple times. Defense attorneys questioned whether Phillips was clearly identifiable in the surveillance video. Witzel acknowledged she could not confirm it was him, but said witness testimony pointed directly to Phillips.
The judge ruled that testimony was enough to establish probable cause for the case to proceed. Phillips is scheduled to return to court at 9 a.m. on October 2 for his next hearing. Read more about North Dakota court proceedings here.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
