Waukon Mayor Pat Stone arrested on child endangerment charges
Patrick O’Shannon Stone, age 42 and currently serving as Mayor of Waukon, was taken into custody and booked into Winneshiek County Jail late Friday afternoon, July 1 on an arrest warrant for two counts of Felony Child Endangerment (Physical Abuse Causing Bodily Injury) involving two of his minor children on two separate occasions in March and May of this year. The warrant was issued by First Judicial District Court Judge Thomas Bitter that day following an investigation that has been going on since March of this year.
Stone posted the $500 cash bond that accompanied the warrant and was released from custody that same evening. Through his attorney in the case, Andrew Nelson of Decorah, Stone entered a plea of not guilty on both counts Tuesday morning, July 5. A temporary no contact order was also issued by Judge Bitter against Stone regarding his two children involved in the alleged incidents and ensuing investigation, but that no contact order has since been lifted as of Monday afternoon, July 11.
Although the two alleged incidents under investigation are said to have taken place in Allamakee County, law enforcement officials from the City of Waukon and Allamakee County requested that the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office investigate the alleged incidents and that Winneshiek County Attorney Andrew Van Der Maaten serve as special prosecutor in any ensuing court case in order to avoid any conflict of interest due to Stone’s position as Mayor of the City of Waukon, the county seat of Allamakee County. According to court documents, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office was initially contacted by the Waukon Police Department in mid-March of this year pertaining to a possible child abuse case after Stone was asked to bring one of his children to the Waukon Police Department for a welfare check following an initial witness statement.
Court documents further stated that marks were observed on the child, prompting an order for an evaluation to be conducted by medical officials at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon for possible child abuse. During the ongoing investigation, a second incident was reported involving another of Stone’s children in May of this year, with further child abuse evaluations by Veterans Memorial Hospital medical staff and the Department of Human Services reporting the observance of “scattered petechial (pinpoint, round spots that appear on the skin’s surface as a result of bleeding) marks” on the child’s left arm, left neck, right neck, right arm, left eye lid and behind the left ear, according to court documents. Stemming from the investigation process, it was declared that there was probable cause to pursue further action against Stone for “knowingly acting in a manner that creates a substantial risk to the physical, mental or emotional health or safety of [his children involved in each incident], resulting in bodily injury,” with court documents indicating that determination resulted in the pursuit of the above-mentioned arrest warrant being issued.
The Waukon City Council met in its holiday-delayed regular session Tuesday, July 5, but no discussion or consideration of the matter took place during that session. Waukon City Manager Gary Boden had previously said that City Code does not allow for removal of the mayor from his office by City officials in incidents such as this, unless they are proven to impact the conducting of official City business. Boden said that the council could only ask for such an official to voluntarily step down but also said that the council would not take any such action in regard to such a matter without thorough consideration and discussion.
Court documents indicate that a bond hearing and initial arraignment for Stone are scheduled to take place Monday, July 25. A preliminary hearing in the matter has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 27.
