Man accused of cutting teenager with knife at Idaho Falls park
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IDAHO FALLS — A Rigby man appeared in court Thursday afternoon after being arrested for allegedly cutting a teenage boy with a knife.
Jaxon Metcalf, 19, is charged with felony aggravated battery with the use of a deadly weapon.
Idaho Falls Police were called to Tautphaus Park on Tuesday after receiving a report that someone had cut a teenage boy’s wrists while at the skate park. Officers arrived and the victim “could only tell me that Jaxon swiped at him and then his wrists were cut,” according to an affidavit of probable cause document obtained by EastIdahoNews.com.
Officers spoke with other witnesses who reported Metcalf had injured the teen with a knife before leaving the area, a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department says.
Metcalf had left the park and police were unable to find him. The next day officers found and arrested him at McDonald’s on 17th Street. He was brought to the police station for an interview and Metcalf reportedly told police he has received death threats from people on Snapchat.
“He told me that when he met (the victim) at the park, (the victim) was calling him a b****,” court documents say. “Since Jaxon didn’t know the people who were threatening him via Snapchat, he was nervous. Jaxon said that (the victim) tried to grab the knife that was in a sheath on his hip.”
Metcalf allegedly told police he took the knife out to prevent the victim from getting it and when the teenager tried to take it, “he swiped” at the victim’s wrist and took off.
The teenager is 16-years-old, according to his mother, who spoke with EastIdahoNews.com Thursday afternoon. We are not identifying her but she says her son is wearing bandages on his wrists due to the injuries.
“We are waiting to see if there will be permanent damage to the bones and tendons in his arms,” she explains. “Mentally he is not in good shape and this has been traumatic for the whole family.”
Metcalf was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on $10,000 bond. During his court appearance Thursday, Judge Colin Luke issued a no-contact order between Metcalf and the victim. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.