Tate Jordan Cly

ELY- Tate Jordan Cly, is seeking to plead guilty in the Sept. 23 knife attack against Richard Joshua Petrizilka in Ely. Cly, age 20, petitioned the district court on Nov. 21 to accept a guilty plea for one of two felony charges he faces from the knife attack. Cly allegedly attacked Petrizilka during an argument at Petrizilka’s home.
According to court records, Cly stated that he had been intoxicated at the time when he allegedly attacked Petrizilka and, after attempting to apologize, fled the scene.
Petrizilka was treated at the emergency room at Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital with multiple knife wounds on his head and upper body after the alleged attack. According to the initial complaint, the hospital contacted the Ely Police Department, which could not locate Cly immediately afterward. Ely police later found Cly at Petrizilka’s home, where they arrested him.
Cly was incarcerated by St. Louis County Sheriff after his arrest and was charged with two felony counts, including second-degree assault and threats of violence. Second degree assault with a dangerous weapon carries a maximum sentence of seven years and a maximum possible fine of $14,000. The felony of “threats of violence-reckless disregard (of) risk” carries a maximum sentence of five years and a maximum possible fine of $10,000. Cly’s bail was set at $50,000. He was released on Oct. 4 after he posted a bond.
Cly’s petition requests that the court accept his guilty plea for the threats of violence charge. The petition lists seven details of a plea bargain under which the county prosecutor will dismiss the more severe charge of second-degree assault in exchange for the guilty plea on the lesser charge. Other terms include no contact with the victim and no probationary jail time. Conditions three and six of the plea agreement were handwritten and are essentially illegible on the petition.
The court is not obligated to accept the terms of the plea petition and Cly can also choose to withdraw it. If either of those things happens, Cly could stand trial for both felony counts.
If the court accepts the petition, Cly is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan 2.