Officer witnessed stabbing at Cedar Rapids convenience store

As fights erupted in a mob of more than 200 people near a Cedar Rapids gas station early Sunday morning, a police officer saw one man slash another man with a knife.

Police said it started around 2:04 a.m. Sunday when they were called to a disturbance in the parking lot at Road Ranger, 1430 First Ave. NE. Officers announced their arrival, but the fighting continued, police said.

“They were yelling ‘Police! Stop!'” Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said.

Officers moved in to separate the fights, but it continued. An officer witnessed a man later identified as Morris Gray, 56, of Spokane, Wa., attempt to stab Jermall Petties, 23, of Cedar Rapids, with a knife.

Petties, who initially tried to run from an officer, suffered non-life threatening lacerations on both shoulders, police said. He was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, but no one by that name was listed as a patient there Monday.

Gray was arrested on suspicion of willful injury and taken to the Linn County Jail.

Hamblin said no knife was found by police, after the officer who saw the attack got “engulfed in the crowd.” Some officers were hit during the skirmish, but were unsure who hit them, she said.

Investigators are unsure what prompted the fights. Hamblin said many witnesses have been uncooperative.

“Nobody wants to talk,” Hamblin said.

Officers from Marion and the Linn County sheriff's office assisted at the scene and with other calls, Hamblin said.

Three other men and a woman were also arrested at the scene. They are:

- Charles Odom, 35, of 931 Old Marion Rd. NE, for disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana.

- Desmond Gray, 23, of Milwaukee, Wisc., for disorderly conduct.

- Derrick Gray, 26, of Spokane Valley, Wash., for disorderly conduct and interference with official acts.

Ladonna C.L. Givens, 22, of 5001 First Ave. SW, for public intoxication, interference with official acts, and assault on a peace officer. The complaint filed against her said Givens spit on an officer as she was being arrested on the other two counts.

Morris Gray was formally charged this morning with willful injury causing serious injury for cutting Petties several times in the back “causing severe lacerations,” according to the complaint.

Both Derrick Gray and Desmond Gray are charged with disorderly conduct, and Derrick Gray with interference with official acts.

Odom is charged with possession of marijuana and disorderly conduct.

While officers were still on scene of the fight, officers were sent to 1439 Third Ave. SE for a report of females fighting. Officers arrived to find a disturbance from inside the house, and were talking to residents when about five gunshots came from an alley between Bever Avenue and Washington Avenue SE, between 14th and 16th streets.

No injuries were reported, but a window was shot out of a car that had been driving in the area.

Police said they are unsure if the two incidents are related. An investigation was continuing.

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Linn County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-CS-CRIME. Rewards are possible.