Woman charged with stabbing man outside Altoona convenience store

May 25—ALTOONA — An Eau Claire woman stabbed a man in the back outside an Altoona convenience store, police said.

The woman claimed the man had been following her, authorities said.

Clare J. Douglass, 30, was charged Monday in Eau Claire County Court with misdemeanor counts of battery by use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.

A $500 cash bail was set for Douglass, which prohibits her from having contact with the man. She must also maintain absolute sobriety.

Douglass returns to court on Thursday.

According to the criminal complaint:

An Altoona police officer was sent to Kwik Trip, 2367 Spooner Ave., at 1:30 a.m. Monday on a report of a woman with a knife who was acting strangely.

An officer arrived to find Douglass sitting on the ground outside the store's front doors.

A second officer spoke to a man standing on the sidewalk on the east side of the building.

The man said he had been injured and showed the officer his back. The back of the man's shirt was soaked in blood from his top left shoulder blade down to the belt line area.

The officer helped the man lift up his shirt. The officer found a puncture would about half an inch wide on the man's shoulder blade.

The man refused treatment but allowed EMS personnel to put a bandage on his back.

The man said he talked with Douglass at both Kwik Trip and later at an Altoona tavern.

They both returned to Kwik Trip, where the man said he offered Douglass help, including a place to stay.

While he was sitting outside near the store, the man said Douglass approached him and reached behind him. He said he felt like he was punched and noticed he was bleeding about a minute later.

Douglass told police the man had been following her all night.

Douglass said she became scared after the man inappropriately grabbed her.

An officer got the knife from Douglass. There was no blood on the knife Douglass said she sanitized the blade after the incident with the man.

Store employees didn't see the stabbing but said Douglass had been walking outside while holding a knife.

The man eventually went to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire for treatment.

The man denied both following and touching Douglass. She asked him if he wanted to fight and he said no.

At that point, the man said, Douglass approached him and stabbed him.