Assault charge upgraded to murder after victim in Nicollet Mall stabbing dies

A man who was previously charged with assault in connection with a stabbing in Minneapolis last week now faces one count of second-degree murder after the victim died of his injuries.

The updated charging documents against Joseph Eugene Davis, 58, were filed on Monday.

Just before midnight on Dec. 23, officers were called to a stabbing at a bus shelter at the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and Fifth Street South. The man died at the hospital, police said.

Witness statements and surveillance video showed Davis attacking the victim while he was talking to someone at the bus stop. The victim was seen shoving Davis away and taking a “defensive posture” as Davis approached him again.

Davis was then seen swinging at the victim and then leaving on a bus as the victim collapsed. He was later arrested in the Uptown area.