Tate Jordan Cly

REGIONAL- An Orr man charged in an assault in Ely last year, was arrested Friday in Duluth on a new felony charge of domestic assault by strangulation.
Tate Jordan Cly, 20, whose address is listed in the complaint as 4638 Indian Point Rd., in Orr, was booked into the Duluth county jail at 1:43 a.m. Friday after police responded to a report of a domestic assault at an apartment in the 600 block of E. Fifth St. in Duluth.
According to the probable cause statement filed with the court, when officers arrived at the apartment, they made contact with a 20-year-old woman who had dried up blood around her mouth, physical signs of injuries to her face., and reported that it felt like her gums were torn open. Cly was also present, and reportedly attempted to interfere while the woman was being interviewed. He was handcuffed and physically resisted officers as he was taken to a squad car.
Crying and rocking back and forth as she spoke to officers, the woman told them she and Cly had been dating for about a month and a half. She said Cly appeared “very intoxicated and was acting strange” when he arrived at her apartment. She said she thought Cly may have cheated on her and the two got into an argument. The woman reported that Cly allegedly pushed her against the kitchen wall three times before getting her to lay down on a living room bed, where he straddled her chest, retraining her. She said Cly opened her jaw with his right hand, his fingernails embedding in her gums, and put his left hand down her throat trying to suffocate her. The woman estimated this continued for five to six minutes before she was able to get away. According to the report, she was bleeding substantially from her face and the woman reported that when Cly saw that he broke down crying, saying he was sorry and that he loved her.
Cly was incarcerated with bail set at $5,000. If convicted of the felony charge, he could be imprisoned for up to three years and fined up to $5,000.
Prior charges
On Sept. 23, 2023, after interviewing Richard Joshua Petrizilka at Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, Ely police arrested Cly in an apparent knife attack. Petrizilka, according to court records, had suffered knife wounds to his left shoulder and the back of his head, marks around his neck, and a bloody face from a fight with Cly.
Reportedly arguing about an incident from years prior, Petrizilka claimed he and Cly wrestled for a few minutes before Cly went upstairs, returned with a knife, and attacked him before fleeing Petrizilka’s home. Petrizilka claimed Cly has threatened to kill him. Cly was arrested at the residence a few hours later. According to the complaint, Cly admitted to officers that he had been drinking, argued and wrestled with Petrizilka, and grabbed a knife with the intent of threatening Petrizilka. Cly claimed that Petrizilka grabbed him, and he realized Petrizilka had been cut. He said he tried to apologize and fled the scene.
Cly was charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, a charge which carried maximum penalties of seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine. He was also charged with threats of violence with reckless disregard for risk, a felony which has maximum penalties of five years of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
In November, Cly’s attorney filed a plea agreement with the court that he would plead guilty to the threat charge in return for dismissal of the second-degree assault charge. Pursuant to the agreement, on Jan. 4, St. Louis County District Court Judge Robert Friday dismissed the assault charge and issued a stay of sentencing on the threat felony, instead ordering supervised probation for three years for Cly. Under the terms of his probation, Cly was to undergo evaluation and comply with any recommended treatment options, not use or possess alcohol or controlled substances, not possess firearms, and to follow all state and federal laws. If Cly is found guilty of violating his probation, the court may institute additional penalties, up to imposing the sentence previously stayed.