Anger Ran Wild In Cda Knife Attack Jury Finds Teen Guilty Of Aggravated Battery In Altercation Last Spring

Whether Michael Hernandez stabbed Kip Richardson never was disputed.

Hernandez admitted as much to a Coeur d’Alene police detective and testified Thursday that he repeatedly had plunged a knife into Richardson’s back and neck.

The only disagreement was over intent.

The jury decided Hernandez had acted maliciously and convicted him Thursday of aggravated battery.

Hernandez, 17, stabbed Richardson at least 14 times during a confrontation last spring outside the Taj grocery store on 15th Street, prosecutors said.

Richardson, 24, wasn’t armed, said Rick Baughman, deputy prosecutor. “He didn’t have a gun, knife, spear, dagger.”

Hernandez and his lawyers said Hernandez was defending himself and two friends. Richardson came at them after a verbal exchange, Hernandez said.

Chance Quinlivan, who along with his wife Anna was with Hernandez, grabbed a baseball bat from the group’s car.

A struggle for control of the bat followed. Richardson eventually grabbed Quinlivan, 19, around the neck.

Anna Quinlivan, who was about eight months pregnant, tried twice to separate Richardson and her husband. Both times she was pushed aside - once rubbing her jaw and the second time clutching her stomach, Hernandez said.

Hernandez said he told Richardson four times to leave Chance Quinlivan alone. He became desperate when it appeared Anna Quinlivan had been hurt.

“I thought if I stabbed (Richardson) one time he’d stop, leave us alone,” Hernandez said of the May 7, 1997, altercation.

Richardson responded by slamming Hernandez to the ground and jumping on top of him, Hernandez said.

“He kept trying to hit me with his head, trying to keep me down on the ground,” Hernandez said. “I kept stabbing him in the back hoping that he would stop.”

Baughman said Hernandez stabbed Richardson about a dozen more times, finally plunging the knife deep into the man’s neck.

Hernandez swung the knife at Richardson’s head at least once more before leaving with the Quinlivans.

Richardson survived the attack.

“Put yourself in Mike’s place, and what are you going to do?” said Bradford Chapman, deputy public defender. “Nothing was working. Nothing was slowing him down.”

But Baughman said the amount of force Hernandez used was not justified.

“The defendant started his involvement in this confrontation with deadly force,” Baughman said.

, DataTimes