By: Devin Fry
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A 50-year-old Grand Forks man faces a felony charge after police say he repeatedly struck another man with a wooden chair during a fight at a homeless shelter.
Dennis Roger Garceau Jr. was charged with aggravated assault following the incident Sunday night at The Link, located at 300 Cherry Street.
According to court documents, the altercation began around 9:35 p.m. when Garceau was sitting on a couch with his dog. The victim approached Garceau and leaned toward the dog without touching it. Garceau responded by punching the victim in the face, causing him to stumble backward.
Fight escalates with chairs
The confrontation escalated when both men threw chairs at each other. The victim fell to the floor, and while he was down and unarmed, Garceau struck him on the head with a wooden chair six times, according to the documents.
Garceau swung the chair over his head and brought it down forcefully on the victim’s head. The chair broke apart from the force of the blows, and Garceau continued hitting the victim with the broken, sharp wooden pieces.
The victim held his hands in front of his face defensively while on the floor. Blood ran from his face onto the floor, forming a significant pool under his head, according to court documents.
Victim hospitalized with injuries
The victim suffered multiple large lacerations across his head, requiring stitches and broken teeth. He was transported to Altru Hospital for emergency treatment.
Garceau was not injured and did not contact police about the incident, according to court documents. He later admitted to hitting the victim with a chair multiple times while the victim was on the floor, telling police he continued because the victim was trying to stand.
Garceau is charged with aggravated assault, a Class C felony. He is in custody at the Grand Forks County Corrections Center.
