He hit a homeless man with an ax while the victim was sleeping, records say

A minister watched as a man stood above several homeless people asleep on a Tacoma street.

He’d come to the area of South 82nd and South Hosmer streets Monday to spread the gospel.

He wasn’t expecting to witness an assault that left the victim hospitalized with a head and hand injury.

Charging papers give this account:

A 42-year-old man was standing over a few folks sleeping and kicked the victim.

He then picked up an ax and hit the sleeping man over the head with the ax’s 30-inch handle.

The victim threw up one of his arms to protect himself from the blow.

The minister intervened and performed a citizen’s arrest on the 42-year-old, holding him until police arrived.

The suspect told officers he had been the one assaulted but could not describe what happened, records say.

On Tuesday, the man pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault with a deadly weapon enhancement and was ordered held on $30,000 bail.

No motive for the attack was given.

This story was originally published March 27, 2019 at 9:19 AM.