MANKATO — An 18-year-old Mankato man has been charged with assault and rioting while armed with a dangerous weapon in connection with a disturbance involving a baseball bat near College Town, a townhome complex near Minnesota State University.
Davonte Reakwon Williams was charged last week in Blue Earth County District Court following a response from Mankato police to an afternoon call on Aug. 16 about a large group attempting to force entry into a residence near the MSU campus. Dispatch informed officers that more than 30 people were allegedly at the door of a residence attempting to assault the occupants.
Officers observed multiple individuals fleeing and a blue van trying to drive away with its side door open. Several bystanders pointed to the van, indicating the suspects were inside. Officers conducted a traffic stop at a nearby intersection. During the officers’ interaction with the occupants, a baseball bat was seen inside the van.
Earlier that day, authorities had received a report of an individual who had been assaulted with a baseball bat and transported to the hospital. They told authorities that two groups of individuals from separate vehicles had been knocking on doors in the area, apparently looking for someone who resembled him. According to the victim, the individuals kicked in the door to the residence where he was staying. He fled the home and was chased and assaulted by a group, including one person armed with a baseball bat.
The bat recovered from the van matched the description provided by the victim and witness video footage, the court complaint stated. The bat was black with gray lettering and a yellow or gold Louisville Slugger emblem. Surveillance video later reviewed by officers showed the victim being struck multiple times with a bat matching that description.
Officers interviewed another person who stated her nephew had been attacked the previous night at the same townhome location. Although a photo lineup was shown, the victim was unable to identify a suspect. However, video footage identified Williams as the individual wielding the bat.
Williams is seen in the video wearing a light-colored camouflage shirt and light-colored sweatpants while holding the bat with both hands. He swings the bat in an overhead, downward motion at least three times. The first swing appears to strike the victim’s elbow area, while the second and third connect with the right side of the victim’s head, neck or shoulder area. A fourth swing is initiated but not completed before the video ends. This incident coincides with a string of assaults that took place in the area between Aug. 15 and 16.
Williams was located and arrested at his residence. During a search, officers recovered a shirt and a pair of large black shoes that matched those worn by Williams in the video.