A 39-year-old man is being held in Thurston County jail in lieu of $15,000 bail after allegedly stabbing another person in Yelm.
Cody John Ward appeared in Superior Court for his preliminary appearance on Tuesday. Superior Court Commissioner Nathan Kortokrax set the bail amount on Tuesday, saying he was concerned Ward may commit a violent crime if he was simply released.
If released, Ward is barred from possessing a weapon or contacting the alleged victim, Kortokrax said.
Yelm Police arrested Ward on suspicion of second-degree assault on Saturday. He is accused of stabbing another man in the butt near the GNC on Yelm Avenue East.
Ward has previously been found guilty of second-degree assault in a domestic violence case from 2018, according to Thurston County Superior Court documents. At the time, he was sentenced to 3 months confinement and one year of parole, per the documents.
A probable cause statement provided by the prosecution describes law enforcement's investigation into the alleged stabbing.
Yelm police responded to a call about a disorderly subject near the GNC at 5:54 p.m. Saturday, according to the statement. Dispatch informed responding officers that a man was attempting to hit people with a cinderblock and a metal pipe, the statement says.
Upon arrival, the man pulled down his pants to show an officer he had been stabbed in his butt, according to the statement. The officer said he saw a 1.5-inch stab wound, per the statement.
The man said a person named Cody stabbed him with a silver knife with a black handle and then ran away, the statement says. He said he picked up a brick and pipe because he was afraid to be stabbed again, according to the statement.
A witness in the area reportedly told police that the two men had an altercation by the GNC and one of them ran away, per the statement. The witness claimed the person who ran away wore shorts and a black hoodie, according to the statement.
An officer located a person matching that description in the area and reportedly physically restrained him, the statement says. Police identified the man as Cody John Ward based on previous contacts, per the statement.
Ward allegedly admitted to police that he attempted to stab the man's hand during an argument, the statement says. Police claim they found a knife on him that matched the description provided by the wounded man, per the statement.
Police arrested Ward and transported him to a holding cell at the Yelm Police Department, according to the statement.
The wounded man was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia and later indicated he wished to press charges, per the statement. From there, the statement says police transported Ward to Thurston County jail.
Kortokrax set Ward's arraignment for June 15.
