A 39-year-old Saint Paul man is facing a second-degree assault charge with a dangerous weapon after witnesses recorded him allegedly punching, strangling and driving a Jeep Compass toward a woman during a domestic dispute on Phalen Drive. Taroji Thao was charged in Ramsey County District Court after two women who witnessed the attack handed over cellphone video to police, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers responded to a report of an in-progress domestic assault inside a vehicle at about 7:19 p.m. on August 27 in the 1500 block of Phalen Drive in Saint Paul, as reported by MN Crime. Two female witnesses told police they saw a white Jeep Compass pull up near them before the confrontation escalated. Video obtained by police reportedly showed the Jeep driving toward the victim and running over her purse in the process.
According to the complaint, Thao had punched the victim in the mouth earlier at the couple’s home before the pair returned to their residence on Atlantic Street to pack belongings — the property was reportedly being condemned at the time of the incident. The victim told officers Thao had become intoxicated at work earlier that day. Once in the vehicle, the complaint alleges Thao drove the Jeep around the area while arguing with the victim, grabbed her dress and ripped it off, forced her arms behind her back, and eventually kicked her out of the vehicle.
Witnesses Say They Stepped In
The complaint alleges that once the victim was out of the car, a male driver assaulted her by punching and strangling her, chased her, and smashed her head on the pavement after grabbing her hair. A second witness told police she pushed the male off the victim during the struggle. The victim also reportedly threw a bottle at the Jeep Compass before the male driver fled in the vehicle…