Staff Report

WARSAW — A North Webster man is facing battery and criminal recklessness charges after allegedly stabbing a man at a Dollar General.

Jordan Nieman

Jordan Dale Nieman, 24, 206 E. Washington St., North Webster, is facing charges of battery while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony, and criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on Oct. 21, a Syracuse police officer responded to a Dollar General in Kosciusko County on a report of a stabbing.

The officer found a man bleeding from his head and upper thigh. The man said he and his girlfriend were walking toward the store when they saw another man, later identified as Nieman, looking at them in an odd manner.

The victim asked Nieman if everything was OK, and Nieman started to punch at him.

Nieman then put his shoulder against the victim’s stomach and shoved him against a vehicle. He then started stabbing the victim in the leg.

A witness at the scene said she saw the fight happen and that Nieman had a knife. She tried to get Nieman off the victim and accidentally pulled off Nieman’s hat and necklaces. She saw Nieman get into a vehicle and recognized another man driving that vehicle away.

Another witness said they tracked the vehicle to a trailer park and gave police the license plate number.

Police found the car that left the scene of the incident and spoke with another man. He said he asked his roommate and Nieman to buy groceries. Nieman had been living at the same place as them for four days.

Officers found a wallet with Nieman’s ID in it at the residence. They also spoke with the man who had driven to the store with Nieman.

That man said he picked up a stranger while going to Dollar General. He said the stranger fought with someone else there and the stranger made him drive him away afterward.

That man later said he had lied and he and “Jordan” traveled to Dollar General. He said there was a fight and the two men drove away in the car.

Nieman was identified by police by store surveillance video. Witnesses also identified Nieman from a group of photos.

Nieman was booked at the Kosciusko County Jail Dec. 7, on a $10,250 surety and cash bond.