An ongoing dispute between a man and his son-in-law culminated a knife attack at a north Spokane home Friday, police say.

Vernon Ray Zielinski, 57, was arrested for first-degree assault after his son-in-law, Tad Howard, and witnesses said Zielinski stabbed him in the hand as Howard tried to fight off the attack.

Family members told police that Zielinski had threatened Howard before and once wrote him a letter saying he wanted to "cut him into little pieces" and mail him to his mother, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Three young children witnessed the attack about 1:30 p.m., Spokane police said.

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