Father convicted in son's murder now charged in Anoka jail assault

Jordan Collins Sr., the Anoka man recently convicted of murdering his 16-year-old son, has been charged with fourth-degree assault after allegedly punching a correctional deputy in the face inside the Anoka County Jail in August.^[1]

Prosecutors say jail surveillance video from August 2 shows Collins "sucker punching" a deputy in the jail's day space while the deputy was conducting routine inmate checks; the deputy was later treated at a hospital, and staff used a Taser to subdue and detain Collins. Collins, who remains in custody, is due for sentencing in the murder case on December 2, and his first court appearance on the new assault charge is scheduled for January 29.^[1]

Collins was found guilty in early October of killing and dismembering his teenage son, Manny, a case that drew intense local attention because of the brutality of the crime and the fact that the defendant was the boy's father.^[1] Authorities discovered Manny's remains earlier this year, and prosecutors presented evidence that Collins tried to conceal the killing by dismembering and disposing of his son's body. The conviction ensured Collins will face a lengthy prison term, and the new assault count adds to his potential criminal exposure and could factor into how corrections officials classify and manage him once he is sentenced.^[1]

The alleged jail assault also underscores the risks faced by correctional staff managing people charged or convicted in especially high-profile and violent cases, where tensions and mental strain inside facilities can run high even before sentencing. Local officials have not publicly linked the punch to any specific grievance or incident inside the jail, but the charge signals prosecutors are unwilling to treat violence against deputies as a secondary concern even when the inmate already faces a likely decades-long sentence for murder.^[1]

1. FOX 9