Attack outside St. Paul homeless shelter leads to death, multiple charges
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A St. Paul man faces multiple charges stemming from an attack that occurred near the Dorothy Day Center on Aug. 3, that led to the death of a victim he had punched four days later.
St. Paul homeless shelter attack
What we know:
Jerry Jovan Harris, 37, is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter related to the attack that occurred around 435 Dorothy Place in St. Paul.
Dig deeper:
According to charges filed in Ramsey County, around 6:30 p.m. officers were sent to the Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Center on the report of a man unconscious and not breathing.
Responding authorities say they spoke with staff at Catholic Charities Higher Ground, located a block away from the Dorothy Day Center, and were told that the victim had fallen, and it was assumed he was having an overdose on narcotics.
However, when the employee reviewed security footage, it showed that a group of people had been standing together prior to his fall, when the suspect – later identified as Harris – "lifted his leg, reared back and punched" the victim. There wasn’t any physical altercation prior to the punch, according to the charges.
Authorities say that the punch and fall that followed it ultimately led the victim – identified as Isaiah Jacob Wilson – to suffer acute left frontal subdural hematoma, leading to "brain death" from a neurological standpoint, charges state.
On Aug. 7, Wilson was removed from life support, and then died.
Big picture view:
Harris had previously been charged in 2025 with fifth-degree assault, and in 2023 with domestic assault.
The Source: Information provided by charges filed in Ramsey County.