By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The 59-year-old Centralia man arrested after reportedly shattering his neighbor’s nose with a small sledge hammer told police the neighbor swung the hammer at him first, according to court documents.
The dispute at the 1300 block of Central Boulevard on Sunday night arose out of the victim playing his music too loud, according to authorities.
Morris R. Keith Jr. is seated for his bail hearing.
Morris R. Keith Jr. was arrested and then charged yesterday with second-degree assault, first-degree burglary – because police say the assault took place in the victim’s garage – and also felony harassment based on a witness reporting Keith said during the argument he was going to kill them.
According to charging documents, when police responded to the north Centralia neighborhood they found Justin Moon screaming someone had broken his nose.
A witness, Kimberly Brooks, told Officer Angie Humphrey that Keith arrived carrying the hammer, that he thought Moon’s music was too loud and said he didn’t like Moon’s “Ni**er* rapping music.”
Brooks told the officer Keith hit Moon in the crotch with it and the argument continued, according to the documents. She said Keith was screaming and hit Moon in the face with it.
Keith had dropped the sledge hammer and left, according to Brooks, but his wife came over and took it away.
When Officer Humphrey spoke to Keith, he said the hammer was Moon’s, and that Moon swung it at him first.
Charging documents don’t recount any of what Moon may have said to his neighbor. Humphrey noted he smelled of intoxicants.
Moon was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with what was described as a “flattened” nose. The doctor at the emergency room said it was the worst broken nose he’d ever seen.
Felony harassment has a maximum penalty of five years in prison, second-degree assault can bring 10 years and first-degree burglary carries a top sentence of life.
A judge yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court set Keith’s bail at $25,000. His arraignment is set for Thursday.
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For background, read “News brief: Loud neighbor music leads to sledge hammer attack” from Monday June 1, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
If the wife lied to the cops lets get here hooked and booked in the LCJ. The husband must be drinking Centralias fine Fluoridated water and drinking artificial sweeteners that have calcified his Pineal gland and drilled holes in his brain. The only defense hes going to have at this point is mental illness. Im sure consuming the fecal matter of Ecoli and fluoridated ice cubes didnt help this mans mentality. Some people just cant handle Centralias poisioned water and after a life times of consumption it causes defects in the mental state of our innocent citizens. Centralia expect more people to snap in our community as the brain damage from the fluoridation impairs the people around you. Yeah you might think that your ok and im crazy but the truth is real about fluoridating the masses, some people are ok and some just snap. Until someone claims insanity from public fluoridation its only going to get worse folks. Its the water
The Sleeping Giant, thank you for your kind words. And to the rest of you I know both the victims and what makes it kinda funny is that none of you live near by or live at the house to know how loud the music was. And from experience it wasn’t that loud, all they were doing is bbqing and listening to music, what right does a person have to just come over with a sledgehammer and just start swinging it. None. Then for the man to put his around the guys gfs throat, wtf, who does that, what could she have possibly done wrong to deserve that? Keith shouldn’t have ever came to their house and threatened them, nor should his wife have lied to the cops, if it was self defense as he claims why’d his wife lie about certain things? So unless you were there, live near, or know the full story, how about saying a prayer for the victims instead of defending a guy that could’ve killed someone because of their music, or the music being too loud.
God protect the innocent and do what you believe is right to the guilty.
Oh jeeze, we have an Al Sharpton on board now!
Wigger is that word a race hating statement or does taste in rap music place this victim in a class of people that deserve violence against them. The criminal that hit the so called wigger deserves a long prison sentence for there actions. Then you say you have seen worse injurys. Really Wilbur? Im surecif you were hit with a sledge to the face you would be pissed off. All of this for loud music. Lets hope the. Victim recovers and the person that did this is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We live in a modern society and violence is not tolerated. Using the word wigger describes your mental state of mind. Grow up we all live here lets get along, lifes to short for this type of Bs. Prayers to the victim and the savage criminals family whom will be without his family now. No one win with violence it hurts us all.
Does the county even have a noise ordnance that the cops could enforce? If not, then there’s not much a cop could do about loud noise.
1. Wilbur, please crawl back under the rock from which you came. People like you are the reason the younger generation is fleeing from Lewis County.
2. Why isn’t Keith’s wife being charged for tampering with evidence?
3. Turn your fucking music down.
So everyone can clearly see that the police do nothing about all the idiot boom boxes we all listen to daily out here: where is the disturbing the peace charge against wiggar moon? That’s what I’m saying. The police do nothing about all the idiot boom boxes we all listen to daily out here because they are waiting for someone like MK to do their dirty work. Then it’s quite a bit more profitable for them to swoop in and hand it over to the completely corrupt, made men and women of the lewis county justice system. The Providence Centralia Hospital doctor is also full of chit. I saw a picture of wiggar moons moron face on KIRO. I’ve seen much worse and I’m not a doctor. If the police are going to place a bunch of bullchit charges on MK they should also charge the idiot wiggar that started the whole problem.
They are only charging him with all these charges so he will take a plea….. Thats what lewis county is famous for.
Maybe if people would be considerate of neighbors this shit wouldnt keep happening. Moon is an ass who probably didnt think Keith would do anything. My guess is he thought he was just an “old” man and nothing to worry about. Well I bet from now on Moon will be more considerate of loud music!
Really don’t understand why this reporter always gives names of witnesses- not sure why it’s necessary? People may fear retaliation and be afraid to speak up due to stories like this. Please think of others safety.