Courts

Suspect in knife attack outside West Salem Kwik Trip pleads not guilty

Published

5 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Paul Stokes and his attorney appear before Judge Ramona Gonzalez in La Crosse County Court on Nov. 25, 2024 (PHOTO: Brad Williams)

A truck driver pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of attacking another driver with a knife in a West Salem Kwik Trip parking lot last month.

Paul Stokes will be scheduled for trial, for allegedly cutting the other driver on the neck and chest during an argument outside a Kwik Trip.

Detective Sergeant Nate Ganrude with the West Salem police described a security video of the incident in court.

“One individual, shorter with a beard, raised his arm, and slashed across at the other individual,” Ganrude said. He described the 45-year-old victim as having a cut along his neck, that continued across the body, “up to 8 inches across the chest.”

The 59-year-old Stokes is accused of reckless endangerment and substantial battery, for the incident in late October.

The victim called police, and Stokes was arrested the next day in Tennessee. Stokes has his next court hearing in January.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.