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David Michael Mattson-Fuller, 22, of Austin was charged with felony first-degree assault – great bodily harm, felony possess ammo/any firearm – conviction of adjudicated delinquent for crime of violence, felony second-degree assault – dangerous weapon – substantial bodily harm, and felony second-degree assault – dangerous weapon – on Tuesday in Mower County District Court.

According to the court complaint, an officer was dispatched to Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin on May 20 and was directed to a room where a male was being treated. The officer observed the man had a bloody mouth and clothes and had a large open wound on his chin.

The man reported that he and his friend were driving by Reed’s Gas Station when he observed his girlfriend’s vehicle being driven by another man with his girlfriend inside. He turned around and followed the vehicle to a residence in the 800 block of 13th Avenue Southeast. When he arrived, he confronted his girlfriend about the other guy. During the confrontation, a male subject, later identified as Mattson-Fuller, came outside and told him to leave.

He told Mattson-Fuller he was there to talk to his girlfriend and he and Mattson-Fuller began to fight. He reported that Mattson-Fuller ended up on the ground, so he went back into the residence and came out with a flare gun, which he aimed at his face. He said he did not believe it was a real gun and slapped it away, then looked at Mattson-Fuller and “just saw black.” The next thing he remembered was being on the ground with blood on his shirt and his friend telling to him to get up. He complained of feeling light headed when he stood up.

He said he did not personally know Mattson-Fuller and described him as having tattoos on his head.

The officer spoke to the man’s friend, who said Mattson-Fuller came out of the residence swinging. He said Mattson-Fuller was losing the fight, so he got a flare gun and shot the man in the face.

The officer asked dispatch about anyone associated with the man seen driving the other vehicle and was informed that Mattson-Fuller was a possible suspect. Dispatch sent the officer a booking photograph of Mattson-Fuller. He then showed it to the victim and his friend; both positively identified the photo as the individual who shot the victim with a flare gun. Police later visited them at their respective residences and showed them a photo line-up with a different picture of Mattson-Fuller. They again identified Mattson-Fuller as the suspect.

Police went to the Southeast residence where the incident occurred. They were informed Mattson-Fuller did not live there and did not locate him after being given verbal consent to search. They did observe dried spattered blood in the driveway.

Police spoke to the victim’s girlfriend, who said she was getting a ride from another man when the victim showed up. While they were talking, she saw Mattson-Fuller come out of the residence and tell the victim to leave. She said a fistfight ensued, though she did not see who threw the first punch.

She indicated it looked like Mattson-Fuller was initially looking for a fight. She said she tried to break it up and when the stopped fighting, Mattson-Fuller went into the residence and came out with an orange flare gun and pointed it at the victim’s face. She estimated Mattson-Fuller was about 10 feet away from the victim when he fired, hitting the victim in the chin. She reported immediately seeing blood and the victim started to “wobble” before passing out on the ground for approximately 10 seconds.

Police spoke to another witness, who said she was on the porch when she saw the victim yelling at his girlfriend from outside her vehicle. She said she saw Mattson-Fuller go outside and tell the victim to leave and the victim tried hitting Mattson-Fuller, causing a fistfight. She said they stopped fighting at some point and Mattson-Fuller went back inside. When he came back out, he had an orange flare gun, shot the victim, and then “took off.”

A review of Mattson-Fuller’s criminal history shows a juvenile adjudication for second-degree burglary and prior convictions for theft, damage to property, terroristic threats, assault and escape from custody.

Mattson-Fuller will appear in court again on June 11.