Fridley Man Arrested on Warrant in Assault

A Fridley man was arrested Monday on a warrant accusing him of beating a co-worker in Burnsville last year with a wooden slat.

George Lee Morgan, 49, is charged with felony third-degree assault, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Morgan was released Tuesday from the Dakota County Jail on his promise to make all future court appearances. An omnibus hearing in his case has been scheduled for Nov. 28 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.

According to the criminal complaint, Burnsville police were called to Waymar Industries on Southcross Drive West just after 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2010, on an assault report. Waymar manufactures furniture for the food-service, hospitality and health-care industries.

The victim told police that Morgan had become angry at him, swore at him and then hit him with a wooden slat, striking his finger and causing it to bleed and swell.

The victim said he was able to raise his arms and cover his head before Morgan struck him a second time.

The Burnsville officer who responded to the call found a wooden slat with blood on it and saw that the victim had a broken fingernail, an injured finger and a gash on his eyebrow.

The attack left the victim with a fracture on his left index finger, and he had surgery to treat his injuries, according to medical records.

Morgan admitted to police that he hit the victim with a wooden slat, but said he did so in self-defense after the victim pushed him.