Jury trial scheduled for Joplin man charged in 2017 stabbing

The trial of a Joplin man charged with assault and armed criminal action in connection with an August 5, 2017, stabbing was scheduled to begin today in Jasper County Circuit Court before Judge David Mouton.

The alleged crime committed by Christopher J. Sanders, 41, was detailed in an August 7, 2017 Joplin Police Department news release:

On August 5, 2017 at 0538 AM an officer with the Joplin Police Department was on patrol in the area of 20th and Bird. He came across an adult male walking in the roadway. When he contacted him he found that he was covered in blood and had been stabbed in the chest.

The male was in medical distress and the officer quickly realized he had a “sucking chest wound.” The officer applied immediate medical attention while Fire and EMS responded. The male was transported to the hospital.

A detective with the police department responded and began an investigation. He was able to track down a location where the assault possible occurred. While he and patrol checked an address of 1710 South Wall, they observed a male crawl out of a second story window before retreating back into the apartment. Officers eventually took a suspect into custody at that location for the assault.

The suspect as identified as Christopher J Sanders, 40, Joplin. Sanders was arrested for first degree assault and armed criminal action and those charges were submitted to the Jasper County Prosecutor’s Office. 

The trial is expected to last two days.