Bemidji Man Accused of Hitting Infant with Object Charged with Assault

John Davis (Credit: Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office)

A Bemidji man accused of hitting his infant child with an object is charged with felony first-degree assault in connection with the incident.

According to court documents, on August 28th, 22-year-old John Patrick Davis, who is listed as homeless, was sleeping in the basement of a home of a recent girlfriend who is the mother of the child.

The mother called for medical help after the child began shaking and suffering a seizure. Doctors at Sanford Bemidji told police the injuries the child suffered were consistent with child abuse and shaken baby syndrome.

Investigators interviewed Davis, who said a music box fell on the child’s head. But other children in the home said they saw Davis raising his hands overhead and bringing them down, striking the infant with an object he was holding.

The infant has been transferred to Sanford Fargo Medical Center, where they report the child is in significant risk of dying, and that if the child does not survive it is likely they would remain in a vegetative state.

Davis is charged with first-degree assault-great bodily harm. He made his first appearance in Beltrami County Court yesterday, and bail has been set at $1 million without conditions or $500,000 with conditions.

Davis’s next court hearing is scheduled for September 16th.