LAYTON, Utah, June 16, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was flown to the hospital for surgery and his brother was booked into jail after a stabbing Monday night in Layton.
Lt. Travis Lyman, Layton City Police Department, told Gephardt Daily that police responded to the scene, in the 1200 block of Parkside Avenue, just after 9 p.m. Monday.
“The suspect was upset at the way the victim had spoken to or treated a child in the house,” Lyman said. “The two brothers got into an argument, and in the course of that, one brother stabbed the other in the neck.”
The 30-year-old victim was flown to the University of Utah Hospital, Lyman said. The man underwent surgery, and was reported on Tuesday to be in stable condition, Lyman said.
The victim’s 27-year-old brother, Preston Robert Johnson, was booked into the Davis County Jail on suspicion of:
- Aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony
- Domestic assault in the presence of a child, using a weapon, a third-degree felony
A probable cause statement filed by an officer of the Layton City Police Department adds details.
The suspect told police his brother had first stabbed him with his earring gauges, then “Preston retaliated by stabbing (the victim) with a knife,” the statement says.
The victim was found in the front yard of their father’s house with a deep stab to the neck, which was bleeding profusely.
“It was found that the two brothers began to argue and then physically fight over Preston’s son playing with a rubber band gun in the house and (the victim) telling the child that he wanted to shoot the child with the rubber band gun.
“This escalated into a physical altercation and then (the victim) took off his gauged earrings and stabbed Preston in the neck with them. This left minor pinpoint marks on (the victim’s) neck.”
The men’s father separated them, the statement says.
“Preston then went to the kitchen, grabbed an 8-inch butcher knife and plunged it into (the victim’s) neck.”
Post Miranda, Preston admitted to getting the knife and stabbing his brother with it in the chest and neck. The stab wound was so deep that the knife went through the victim’s mouth, the statement says.
“Preston stated that (the victim) had been choking him and to stop the choking, Preston stabbed him.”
Preston Johnson is being held without bail, in part because he presents a danger to the suspect, who he lives with, court documents say.
