Rochester Man Sentenced to Prison for Stabbing Half-Brother

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has been sentenced to prison for stabbing his half-brother.

Twenty-six-year-old Eric Dewayne Fields was charged about a year ago with first- and second-degree assault in connection with a knife attack at a northwest Rochester apartment on the morning of March 10, 2025. He later entered into a plea agreement and admitted to the second-degree charge.

Victim Found Collapsed in Hallway

According to the criminal complaint, Rochester police responded to a residence in the 3400 block of Kenosha Drive Northwest and encountered a woman who directed them to the second floor of the building. The court document says the officers found a man lying on the floor with a stab wound to his chest.

The criminal complaint states that blood was “all over the victim's chest, upper body, neck, and on the floor.” The officers described him as somewhat conscious and able to communicate a little.

Blood Flowing From Chest Wound

The charging document says the victim reported that he had been stabbed by Fields. One of the officers at the scene observed a stab wound to the left side of the victim’s sternum, with blood flowing from the wound. The officer also noted the victim was showing symptoms of shock and was going in and out of consciousness before he was transported to the hospital.

A detective later interviewed the victim at the hospital. The criminal complaint says he indicated that Fields had slept overnight in the home, and when he woke up in the morning, he found Fields in his room looking for something.

Victim Describes Attack

The court document says the victim stated that he ordered Fields to get out of the room, and his half-brother responded by stabbing him. According to the victim, the two men then wrestled, and the knife fell to the floor before the victim collapsed.

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Video Evidence

The criminal complaint says another officer reviewed surveillance video from cameras in the apartment building. The video shows the victim leaving his apartment and collapsing in the hallway, and a couple of minutes later, Fields is seen exiting the apartment and heading toward a stairwell. Another video recorded Fields peeking out of the exterior door at the bottom of the stairs before leaving the building.

Claimed Self Defense

Fields was later taken into custody and interviewed by Rochester police. The criminal complaint says he initially denied stabbing his half-brother, but after being confronted with the evidence, he claimed he was acting in self-defense. The detective also indicated he was being evasive and appeared confused about the details.

Sent to Prison

Fields was sentenced this morning in Olmsted County court and was ordered to serve a three-year prison term. He was given credit for the 381 days he has spent in jail since his arrest.

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