A 53-year-old St. Cloud woman is facing two felonies after allegedly threatening a neighbor and a cyclist with an ax on Saturday, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in Stearns County District Court.
Shelley L. Goff was charged with two felony counts of second-degree assault.
According to court documents and a statement issued by the St. Cloud Police Department, officers responded to an assault report in the 400 block of Eighth Avenue S. in St. Cloud just before 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
A 44-year-old man who lives across the street told police he was on a ladder doing housework when Goff struck a hook holding a line for his dog's leash, causing it to break, and swung at him while he was on the ladder.
The man said he jumped off the ladder to get away, after which Goff started hitting a tree with the ax and yelling that his house was her property and he needed to leave, the complaint states.
A 52-year-old woman who was bicycling in the area told police Goff then "ran towards her and raised up the ax while screaming" but stopped and turned around when she was about 8 feet away, the complaint states. Neither the man nor the woman was hurt.
After officers arrived, Goff refused to put down the ax; officers deployed a Taser but it was ineffective and Goff went into her residence, where officers could hear her shouting and breaking things, the complaint states.
Crisis negotiators and St. Cloud's SWAT team responded to the scene. About 1:40 p.m., officers entered the house on a search warrant and found two axes, as well as numerous bats, crowbars and crossbows, documents state. Goff reportedly tried to flee through an upstairs window but was captured and arrested.
Her first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
Jenny Berg • 612-673-7299
Twitter: @bergjenny
