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Man charged in alleged Manistique hatchet attack

MANISTIQUE — A Manistique man has been charged with allegedly attacking another person with a hatchet Sunday afternoon. The man who was attacked and injured was walking his dog at the time. He did not know the man who attacked him and police said the assault was unprovoked

Reeves Edward Kingren, 20, of 600 Range St., Manistique, has been charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than the crime of murder. Kingren was arrested without a struggle shortly after the attack and was lodged in the Schoolcraft County Jail.

At 5:25 p.m., Sunday, Manistique Public Safety and other local law enforcement officers were dispatched to the report of two men fighting at the intersection of Arbutus and Range Streets in Manistique. One of the men was armed with a hatchet.

At the scene, officers found Manistique resident Ronald Cunningham, 64, had been injured during an alleged unprovoked assault by another man who had left the scene. Cunningham told police he did not know his assailant, and was walking his dog across the street from 600 Range Street when he was assaulted from behind and struck with a hatchet. Officers found Cunningham had been struck with a sharp-edged weapon several times. He was treated for injuries at the scene and transported to Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital by Public Safety for additional care.

A search for the suspect began. He and a hatchet were located in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Lakeshore BP gas station in Manistique a short time later. Officers determined the suspect, later identified as Kingren, had received a ride from the scene from an acquaintance who did not realize Kingren was being sought by the police for a violent assault. Once this person realized the Kingren was acting irrationally and had a hatchet, the person drove his vehicle to the gas station, abandoned it with car keys in hand, and the police were called immediately, officials said.

Officers arrived on scene at the Lakeshore BP gas station and took Kingren into custody for assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than the crime of murder (known as felonious assault). Kingren was arrested and lodged at the Schoolcraft County Jail.

On Wednesday, Kingren was arraigned in the 93rd District Court of Schoolcraft County and was formally charged with felonious assault. The charge is a felony and carries a sentence of 10 years imprisonment or $5,000 fine. Kingren’s next court appearance has been set for May 25 for a probable cause hearing before the district court. Kingren’s bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety.

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