Published: November 13th, 2026.
WEST SAINT PAUL, MN - A 54-year-old man has been charged with felony second-degree assault after allegedly attacking a laundromat employee with a metal chisel in West St. Paul, leaving the victim with severe skull fractures, facial injuries and a traumatic brain injury, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court.
Jermaine Terrell Jackson is accused of repeatedly striking the employee with a metal object on September 18, 2026, after mistakenly believing the worker had caused Jackson's child to fall from a laundry basket.
According to the criminal complaint, West St. Paul police officers responded to a reported assault at a laundromat and found a man bleeding extensively from his face, head and mouth.
The victim told investigators that Jackson had attacked him with what he believed was a crowbar. Emergency medical personnel transported the victim to a hospital for treatment.
Two witnesses told police they observed Jackson repeatedly striking the victim with what appeared to be a crowbar. According to the complaint, both witnesses believed Jackson was attempting to kill the victim.
Investigators later interviewed the victim, who explained that he had been cleaning the laundromat when Jackson accused him of knocking over Jackson's child.
The victim reportedly returned to cleaning lint trays before Jackson began attacking him. The victim attempted to escape by running outside, but Jackson allegedly followed and continued the assault.
Surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed Jackson's child falling from a metal laundry basket and landing on her head, according to the complaint. Investigators determined that the employee had not been involved in the child's fall.
The footage allegedly showed Jackson confronting the employee before leaving the business. Jackson then returned carrying a metal object, approached the employee from behind and repeatedly struck him before chasing him outside.
Following the incident, investigators went to Jackson's residence and attempted to contact him. According to the complaint, Jackson refused to leave his apartment.
Police subsequently obtained a search warrant for Jackson's vehicle, which was parked outside the residence.
During the search, investigators recovered an approximately one-foot-long solid metal chisel with what appeared to be blood on it.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension later analyzed the evidence and determined that blood recovered from the chisel belonged to the victim, according to the complaint.
On November 12, investigators obtained the victim's medical records, which documented extensive injuries.
According to the complaint, the victim suffered severe skull fractures involving the frontal sinus, including damage extending toward the cranial cavity. The victim also sustained a shattered orbital bone, significant sinus damage and a traumatic brain injury.
The victim told a detective that the injuries would prevent him from working for approximately three months while recovering. Additional medical appointments were also scheduled.
Jackson has been charged with one felony count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm under Minnesota Statute 609.222, subdivision 2.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both. The complaint also references Minnesota's dangerous-weapon sentencing provisions under Statute 609.11, subdivision 4.
Prosecutors have requested that a complaint warrant be issued, arguing that Jackson poses a risk to public safety.
The allegations contained in the criminal complaint have not been proven in court. Jackson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.