Suspect pleads guilty to reduced charge in scissors assault case
Man sentenced to year of probation, attend a domestic violence program
A Ferndale man first charged with a felony for assaulting his adult son with a pair of scissors had the charge reduced in a plea deal Thursday to a misdemeanor count of first-time domestic violence.
Johnny Son,
47, was initially charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in the Dec. 7 incident at a house he shared with his son and some other relatives. He no longer lives at the house and his case was delayed while he underwent a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.
Ferndale 43rd District Judge Joseph Longo on Thursday sentenced Son to one year of probation and ordered him to attend a domestic violence program.
Longo further prohibited Son from having any contact with his son.
Longo said he will only consider lifting that ban if the son contacts the court with a written request that he wants to have contact again with his father.
Son admitted in court that he made an assault on his son.
Ferndale police said they were called to the house where Son lived in Ferndale by a witness there.
The father and son had been smoking marijuana and watching YouTube videos in an upstairs bedroom, police said.
Son left the room briefly, police said, then returned, grabbed a pair of scissors from a table and jumped on top of his son.
Son tried to cut his son’s throat with the scissors, but the son and a witness were able to push him away, police said.
There were some small superficial cuts and abrasions on the son’s neck, police said, but he did not require medical attention at a hospital.
Son made no statements to police after his arrest and police said they have no idea what the motive was in the attack. Ferndale man is accused of assaulting his adult son with a pair of scissors after police say they had been smoking marijuana and watching YouTube videos together.
Suspect Johnny Son, 47, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon after the Dec. 7 incident.
He was ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam and was found competent to stand trial last week in Ferndale 43rd District Court.
Son is to appear in court Thursday for his next hearing.
Ferndale police said they were called to the house where Son and some other relatives live about 3 p.m. the day of the incident.
A witness at the house called police and was waiting outside when officers arrived.
“The victim was sitting in a car holding his neck,” said Ferndale police Detective Brendan Moore. “Police went into the house and arrested the suspect.”
Police said they could see some fresh abrasions and small cuts on the son’s neck.
The witness told officers that the suspect had tried to cut the victim’s neck with a pair of scissors, police said.
“The victim said he and the suspect had smoked marijuana and were watching YouTube videos in an upstairs bedroom,” Moore said. “Johnny Son left the room and went downstairs for a moment.”
When Son returned to the upstairs room he is accused of grabbing a pair of scissors off a table and attacking his son, police said.
“The victim said the suspect jumped on top of him and attempted to cut his throat,” Moore said. “He was able to push the suspect off him with help of the witness and ran from the house.”
Son did not make any statements to police about the incident following his arrest, according to officers.
Police said they were unable to determine any motive for the assault based on statements from the victim and the witness.
Moore said Son does not have any prior criminal history based on police reports.
Son is represented by a court-appointed attorney and he was released on personal bond following his arraignment.
Under the conditions of his bond, Son is prohibited from having any contact with the household, or using any alcohol or controlled substances not prescribed by a physician.