News

Mar 22, 2025

North Dakota inmate charged for assaulting other with blade

A man serving a 20-year sentence for murder is facing new charges after allegedly assaulting another inmate at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck. Reginald Toussaint Reginald Toussaint,

A man serving a 20-year sentence for murder is facing new charges after allegedly assaulting another inmate at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck.

Reginald Toussaint

Reginald Toussaint, 30, faces two charges related to possession of a dangerous weapon by an inmate and one charge of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges of possession of a weapon by an inmate carry up to 10 years in prison; the assault charge, up to five years.

Charges were filed after an Oct. 26, 2024, incident at the penitentiary, where he allegedly assaulted inmate Tavares Boykin, according to an affidavit.

Boykin was reportedly attacked from behind while standing outside a cell and speaking to a staff member. Surveillance video reportedly shows Toussaint holding an altered razor blade in his right hand and making several slashing motions, resulting in wounds to the right side of Boykin's face, according to the affidavit. It did not look like Boykin attempted to fight back, the affidavit stated.

Following the alleged attack, corrections officers searched Toussaint's cell, solely occupied by Toussaint, and reportedly found two more weapons made from altered razor blades, as well as pieces of other razor blades, according to the affidavit.

Tavares Boykin

Toussaint's sentence stems from a 2019 shooting in Williston, where he was charged in the death of a 49-year-old man found dead outside a motel. He pleaded guilty in January 2022 under an agreement with prosecutors for a 20-year sentence, and his estimated release date is Oct. 9, 2036, according to the Department of Corrections.

Boykin is serving a five-year sentence after his probation was revoked in a 2022 terrorizing case originating in Grand Forks County. His estimated release date is April 14, 2027, according to DOCR.

Despite being an inmate, Toussaint's bond was set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 31. Court records do not indicate an attorney.

Toussaint also faces charges in a 2023 case in which he is accused of assaulting a corrections officer. A pair of charges in that case each carry up to five years in prison. Court records indicate Toussaint has pleaded not guilty to those charges and a trial is scheduled to begin on May 13.

Reach Brad Nygaard at 701-250-8260 or [email protected]

Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.

Reporter

The owner of a Mandan business operating as a massage and body spa is in custody after being charged with facilitating prostitution and operat…

Three 17-year-old Mandan boys were injured in what authorities say was a drunken driving crash in Morton County.

A woman free on bond in a negligent homicide case tied to a fatal 2022 crash on Bismarck Expressway is back in custody after a judge revoked h…

A Bismarck man and woman were seriously injured when their car went off Expressway and crashed into a concrete sign support.

A Minnesota woman who worked at a former Bismarck day care facility pleaded not guilty to charges accusing her of abusing an infant then faili…