Carthage man faces two charges after disturbance

A Carthage man is facing two felony charges in connection with a disturbance Monday afternoon in Joplin that involved several people and could lead to additional arrests, according to police.

Officers were called at 5:05 p.m. to 1825 S. Empire Ave. regarding a disturbance with weapons, said Cpl. Chuck Niess of the Joplin Police Department.

The officers found Stratton Epperson, 21, 4210 E. 24th St., at the scene with injuries to his arms and back. Epperson told police that he had been surrounded by several men and assaulted, Niess said.

Epperson told police that one of the men, Nathan K. Hernandez, 28, of Carthage, approached him with a knife but did not cut him with the weapon. A woman then got out of a car, struck him on an arm with a pole and began hitting his car with the pole, Epperson reportedly told police.

Niess said Hernandez also allegedly hit Joshua S. Bunte, 20, 2202 S. Empire Ave., with a crowbar. He said a third victim, Matthew P. Brewer, 20, of Webb City, was hit on the arm with a bat by a second man and struck in the head with a two-by-four by a third man.

All three victims declined emergency medical care, Niess said.

Officers later found Hernandez at an apartment at 827 S. Florida Ave. and arrested him. He was charged Tuesday by the Jasper County prosecutor’s office with second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Niess said a 19-year-old Joplin woman was cited for misdemeanor property damage to Epperson’s car, and that other charges may be filed in the incident.