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Minneapolis man charged with murder in deadly Nicollet Mall stabbing

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Published  December 30, 2024 2:00pm CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 9
article

Police at the scene of a stabbing on Nicollet Mall. (FOX 9)

The Brief

    • Charges against Joseph Davis have been upgraded to murder after the victim in a stabbing along Nicollet Mall has died.
    • The victim was stabbed last Monday during a fight near a bus shelter.
    • Police initially said the victim was seriously hurt in the attack but then announced over the weekend that the victim had died.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis man now faces a murder charge following a deadly stabbing at a Nicollet Mall bus shelter.

Nicollet Mall killing

What we know: Joseph Davis, 58, now faces a murder charge for the stabbing in the late night hours of Monday, Dec. 23.

Police say the victim was found passed out and bleeding heavily at the bus shelter shortly before midnight. Officers said the suspect had fled the area on an e-bike. A bus driver reported seeing two people fighting at the bus shelter before the victim collapsed next to the bus.

Tracking him using cameras, officers say they eventually took Davis into custody in the area of Colfax Avenue South and Lake Street. Investigators say Davis had a knife on him when he was arrested.

Victim dies after stabbing

What's new?: Over the weekend, police announced the victim in the stabbing had died from their injuries.

Davis initially faced an assault charge in the attack. On Monday, prosecutors upgraded the charges against Davis to murder.

What they're saying: According to the charges, Davis claims he confronted the victim after Davis alleged the victim "aggressively approached" a woman. Davis claims he was just trying to scare off the victim with the knife, but the victim hit him with a metal object.

The charges state: "[Davis] stated he ‘never once came at’ [the] victim, and that [the] victim kept coming at him. He stated that he stabbed [the] victim when [the] victim attempted to hit him a second time, and that he tried to 'parry' with his knife and [the] victim ‘essentially impaled himself’ on it."

However, the charges state that surveillance video shows Davis as the aggressor.

In a statement, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara praised the work of the officers who tracked down Davis.

"I am grateful to the officers and investigators who worked quickly to bring justice for the victim and his family," said Chief O’Hara. "While nothing can bring back this man, I hope that our work brings some sense of justice for his family during this difficult time."

What's next: Davis is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on Monday afternoon. He remains in custody at Hennepin County Jail. 

Crime and Public SafetyMinneapolis