Knives, bat, mop handle, cleaver used
in free-for-all

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — At least four men used cleavers and clubs to attack one another Sunday, leaving at least one of the men with possible brain injuries.

The fight started around 3:30 a.m. Sunday outside unit 26 of Sagebrush Apartments at 650 Dani Drive, according to the arresting officer, Roberta Garcia.

Details are still fuzzy, and the investigation is ongoing. But David Nelson and Douglas Palmer of Unit 28, and Julius Smith and Tysin Descheney of Unit 26, were arrested for aggravated assault and battery charges.

According to Garcia’s report, Descheney repeatedly struck Palmer in the face, head and upper body, with a silver mop handle, breaking it into three pieces and breaking Palmer’s left arm and nose. Palmer’s left cheekbone may also have been broken and he may have suffered brain damage, according to the report.

A fifth man, whose participation is still unknown, was apparently stabbed by Palmer in the right shoulder and his scalp was cut on the right side.

David Nelson used a wooden baseball bat as his weapon. And Julius Smith used a knife. Officers first arriving on the scene observed Smith lunging at a woman with the knife in his hand.

The mop handle, wooden bat, a cleaver and a knife were all recovered.