A Keokuk County man has been charged with assault following an altercation that stemmed from a minor vehicle accident in Keota on Tuesday, April 21st.
Raymond Sypherd, 54, of Keota faces one count of Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness, a serious misdemeanor.
According to court documents, the incident occurred at approximately 1:19 p.m. when the victim, who was driving a semi with a trailer, was attempting to turn west onto a street. Sypherd was traveling east in a Jeep when the side of the semi’s trailer struck the Jeep’s tire, causing minor damage to the trailer and no damage to the Jeep.
Both drivers exited their vehicles. According to court documents, the victim stated he was telling Sypherd to give him room to complete the turn. The confrontation escalated into a verbal argument, after which the victim stated Sypherd struck him in the mouth with a closed fist two or three times, leaving him with a bloody lip. The victim did not require medical attention. He told Sypherd he was calling law enforcement, returned to his semi, and drove to his work location. Court documents state Sypherd allegedly followed him there before leaving prior to officers’ arrival.
When officers responded and spoke with the victim, they photographed his lip, observing that while the bleeding had stopped, a small laceration was visible on the inside of his bottom lip. Officers subsequently attempted to contact Sypherd at his residence on two separate occasions over the following evenings but received no answer at the door on either visit, according to court documents. A warrant was then requested for his arrest, with bail set at $1,000 cash or surety.
Following his initial appearance hearing, Sypherd was released on a promise to appear. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 19th. A no contact order has been requested in the case.
