Details of Attempted Murder Case in Concord Revealed

A Concord man who was arrested recently after allegedly trying to slash another local man had been threatening the other man for at least a month, according to court documents.

, 35, of Concord, was arrested last week and charged with attempt to commit second degree murder, attempt to commit first degree assault, reckless conduct; place another in danger, and falsifying physical evidence, all felonies.

According to an affidavit, a officer was called to a West Street home for a report of an attempted stabbing at about 1:30 p.m. on July 28.

As the officer arrived, she was flagged down by the alleged victim who was standing on the sidewalk in front of the home along with a woman and his 3-year-old daughter.

The man alleged that Best had “been threatening him for the past month.” The man alleged that he had received a phone text message from Best stating that he was coming to the man’s apartment “to kill him.”

At first, the man thought Best was bluffing, and headed to the West Street Playground with his daughter. Along the way, the man allegedly received another threatening text. The man reportedly texted Best back saying he was with his daughter and didn’t want him to come over.

While the man was heading back home, he allegedly encountered Best outside his apartment building. The two allegedly began yelling at each other and the man moved his daughter away from Best.

“He stated that at the time Best came at him with a knife in his hand and attempted to slash him with the knife across his face and neck,” the officer wrote in the report.

The man pulled back away from Best and used his shirt to hit Best in the hand, in an unsuccessful attempt to get the knife out of his hand. Best allegedly went after him again, attempting to cut him again, according to the officer’s report.

The man alleged that he used his foot to push Best away.

Another Concord woman, who was at the apartment, allegedly attempted to push Best away and eventually, Best left the scene, heading through the parking lot.

The officer then spoke to one of the women at the scene who confirmed that she and another female friend went outside after the man called them and asked to come out and get his daughter away from the scene. The woman alleged that Best confronted them and one of the women allegedly told him to leave and not cause an incident in front of the girl. The woman confirmed that Best allegedly attempted to slash the man with the knife and called 911.

The second woman confirmed many of the details of the incident. She also alleged that after pushing Best away from the man and his daughter, Best allegedly folded the knife up and put it in his pocket. She later reportedly followed Best and tried to talk to him, and Best allegedly told her that he didn’t have the knife and police wouldn’t find it.

A McDonald’s employee was also interviewed and he said that he heard the commotion and allegedly saw Best try to slash the man, with the man trying to protect his daughter.

Best was later arrested and charged.

During the interview with Best, police allege that he admitted to having the knife and alleged the he threw it in a trashcan in front of McDonald’s. The knife was later recovered, according to the affidavit.

Best allegedly told an officer that he wasn’t intending to stab the man but just wanted to punch him but missed. He allegedly told the officer that the blade was extended when he swung at the man.

Best allegedly said his intent was to “punch his (expletive) nose out … break his jaw or something.”

, the chief of the Concord Police Department, said that there had been a lot of incidents that were similar to this one in the city, especially between people who know each other. He said what makes this particular concerning was the presence of the child.

“It’s particular unusual,” he said.

Duval said a crime of this nature, whether it’s an attempted murder or an attempted first-degree assault, would be punishable up to several years in the state prison.

“My expectation would be that with a conviction, that there would be significant jail time,” he said. “That’s presuming that there would be an ultimate finding of guilty in court.”