West Plains, MO. – One person has been charged following an altercation involving two men. A West Plains Police Officer was approached by a male suspect who had a 3-inch cut to his head and had been in a struggle with another man.
The suspect was Joseph L. Beard, who, according to the probable cause statement, is known by local law enforcement from previous criminal encounters.
The investigation accuses Beard of going to a neighboring residence with a green machete and refusing to leave following the resident’s request. Beard then began threatening a guest of the home with the machete and was struck by the victim with a baseball bat. The two men began grappling on the ground where Beard is accused of biting the man’s left ear. Law enforcement identified injuries on the unnamed man consistent with a biting injury.
During the ground struggle, the second man grabbed an object nearby and struck Beard in the head, causing him to flee.
In a post-Miranda interview, Beard denied having the machete but admitted to biting the man. Law enforcement noted that the green machete was commonly seen with Beard and, during the interview, Beard kept changing his story concerning the blade.
Joseph Beard was taken into custody and charged with 1st Degree Assault and Unlawful Use of a Weapon – Exhibiting. His bond is set at $100,000 cash or corporate surety.
According to online court documents, Beard is on probation for a 2022 Burglary charge and a probation violation has been filed.
