Months later, man charged with assault for deadly fight in Fridley

FRIDLEY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is now facing charges for a fight that left a man dead in Fridley last January.

Brandon Watson, age 43, was charged Monday for the attack at a home nearly 11 months ago. On January 30, 2022, deputies with the Anoka County Sheriff's Office reported they were called to a home on Pierce Street NE for a fight.

At the home, they found a man who was unconscious. They attempted to revive the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

At the time, police said the suspect, now identified as Watson in the complaint, had left the scene but was arrested shortly thereafter.

In the complaint, a witness told deputies she was sleeping in her bedroom when she heard a banging noise and went to see what happened. At the bottom of the stairwell, she told investigators she saw Watson holding an object and the victim, Joseph Skogen, sitting at the top of the stairwell, covered in blood.

The witness said Skogen was a guest at her home and Watson had shown up uninvited, starting the fight. The witness also told investigators she believed Watson used the object in his hand to attack Skogen.

Deputies said in the criminal complaint that Skogen had suffered significant injuries to his head.

It's not clear why the investigation into the attack took so long -- or why Watson is only facing a third-degree assault charge at this point.

Watson is due in court in April to answer charges. He is currently not listed as in custody on the Anoka County Jail roster.