LAFtnStabbing

Bryan Fearman, 22, of Indianapolis walks into the LA Fitness Lawrence location where bae (Lerron McDowell) was getting his exercise on and allegedly stabs dude with a 10 inch kitchen knife. McDowell was taken away in an ambulance reportedly with the 10 inch knife still in his back. The 5 ft 8, 120 pounds, Fearman was later arrested and told police he did not care if the McDowell survived. Fortunately McDowell did survive and is recovering. Fearman is being held without bond for attempted murder.

Fearman said his ex-McDowell owed him monies which is what lead up to the confrontation. However this was not the first violent run in between the two. McDowell obtained a restraining order against Fearman but still continued some sort of relationship with him a year afterwards.

Fearman has a lengthy history of violence. The IndyStar reported:

Fearman’s first felony conviction for criminal recklessness followed a stabbing reported the night of Oct. 22, 2012. A friend of Fearman’s told police that he was asleep in his room when Fearman stabbed him in the neck with a knife, court documents said. The friend told police that he had gotten into an argument with Fearman earlier that day.

Fearman was sentenced to 182 days behind bars on July 30, 2014, nine days after McDowell, who was later stabbed filed a personal protection order against him. It would become the fifth protection order filed against Fearman since 2011, according to online court records.

In his petition for protection, which was active at the time of the stabbing, McDowell outlined months of torment at the hands of his lover.

In March 2013, Fearman broke the windows out of the McDowell’s home, bit him and tried to stab him with a broken bottle, McDowell alleges in the protection order.

On July 20, 2014, following weeks of text message death threats to McDowell and members of his family, Fearman broke the windows out of the McDowell’s grandmother’s house as the family watched TV inside.

Police reports suggest that McDowell is not the only person who Fearman threatened during the course of their relationship.

In February 2014, Fearman threatened to assault a Domino’s Pizza employee over the phone while placing an order, a police report said. The employee told police that Fearman recognized his voice and grew angry because the employee had a relationship with the boyfriend.

Threats made by Fearman on June 9 led to his second felony conviction. Court documents said a woman living in an apartment in the 200 block of North Shortridge Road called police to report broken glass and vandalism caused by Fearman.

Fearman found out about the call to the police, approached the woman and told her that he would kill her and her children, court documents said. Police responding to the woman’s call found Fearman in the courtyard of the apartment.

That incident led to Fearman entering a plea agreement on a charge of felony intimidation. He was sentenced on July 6 to spend 311 days wearing an electronic monitoring device.

He would only wear it for a week.

About 12:20 a.m. on July 12, Fearman’s monitoring device went into “strap temper” status and prompted a response from Community Corrections officials, court documents said. A Community Corrections violation filed in court states that they called all numbers associated with Fearman and tried to locate him at all associated addresses.

Officials also checked on the well-being of the woman Fearman had threatened. A warrant for Fearman’s arrest was issued July 13.

That same day a family member McDowell’s had the windows of his van smashed, a police report said, and Fearman claimed responsibility.

Three days later McDowell reported several threatening phone calls from Fearman, according to a police report.

Four days later police were called to an attempted arson at the home where McDowell was staying. Court documents said the homeowner told police that Fearman came to the home and placed an oxygen tank next to a gas can with a lit rag stuffed into the can.

The homeowner spotted Fearman and chased him away, court documents said. A short time later, Fearman called McDowell to say he would have to “try something else” when he learned that the house didn’t explode, the documents said.

I can’t just blame this on age or immaturity because even older men can be immature and make poor choices when it comes to picking a boyfriend. I will say regardless of your age, when dating, you must pay attention to warning signs early (if they present themselves) and maybe more importantly, pay attention to your instincts.

Many times abusers seek out characteristics in people they feel are weaker than or that they can take advantage of. Part of me feels this little sick bastard just hasn’t rolled up on the right man yet. Like the guy who ran him off after he attempted to set the house on fire. I hope this shows that domestic violence within the LGBT/SGL communities is very real and a serious (under reported) problem.

More importantly this also should shine a light on mental illness and psychosis within LGBT/SGL people and communities of color. Obviously Fearman has some serious issues that jail has not and cannot resolve. At some point did the court systems offer any type of mandated counselling or anger management for Fearman…if not, why not? We do know inmate recidivism is lucrative business for privately held, tax funded detention and prison facilities so maybe this is a reason he was not offered any professional help.