A 36-year-old Fargo man was arrested late Thursday after police said he choked a woman for roughly one minute and stabbed her with a pair of pliers during an argument about noise inside a south-side apartment at about 8:26 p.m.
Authorities identified the suspect as Michael David Schaffer. He faces two felony counts: aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence causing serious bodily injury. Police said officers found the victim with two circular cuts to her right elbow consistent with a dual-ended tool and redness to her neck and chest. The case moved quickly to first appearance, with an arraignment scheduled Friday afternoon in Cass County District Court. Investigators described the incident as a domestic dispute. Officials did not release the woman’s name under state confidentiality rules. The immediate stakes include whether a judge imposes bond conditions and no-contact orders while the charges proceed and whether additional counts could be added once medical records and forensic photographs are reviewed.
Officers were dispatched after a 911 caller reported a stabbing at an apartment building. According to the initial incident report, Schaffer became angry at the woman and another person for “talking too loudly,” then began breaking items inside the unit. Investigators wrote that he pushed the woman against a bathroom door and choked her with one hand for about a minute. When another person in the apartment yelled at him to stop, the report says, he grabbed a pair of pliers, cursed at the woman, and stabbed her once in the elbow. Patrol arrived minutes later, secured the scene, and requested medical assessment for the victim’s arm and throat. Police photographed injuries, documented the damaged property, and canvassed neighbors in the hallway for possible witnesses.
The woman had two small, circular lacerations on her right elbow that officers described as consistent with a sharp, dual-ended tool. Redness was noted on her neck and chest area. The apartment bathroom door showed fresh impact damage, according to the report. Investigators said Schaffer left after the confrontation but returned and was found in the building’s entryway, where officers detained him. He denied choking or stabbing the woman and claimed she was the aggressor, the report states. Police recovered the pliers for evidence and collected photographs of the room where the strangulation allegedly occurred. Officials did not immediately release information on any prior calls to the address, whether others in the building heard the disturbance before the 911 call, or whether the apartment has hallway cameras that might show Schaffer entering and leaving.
Records show Schaffer was booked into the Cass County Jail on Thursday night. Under North Dakota law, aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon is a felony that can carry prison time upon conviction, while domestic violence causing serious bodily injury raises the potential penalties and can affect sentencing guidelines. The charging documents indicate officers responded to an apartment in Fargo shortly after 8:20 p.m. and that the alleged attack stemmed from a noise argument. The report references a second person present in the unit who shouted during the assault; police have not publicly identified that person. As of Saturday morning, officials had not provided an update on the victim’s condition beyond the initial assessment, and it is unknown whether she required stitches or additional treatment after the on-scene evaluation.
The arrest comes amid an active winter call period for local law enforcement, which often sees an uptick in domestic-related service calls during longer, colder nights. Police did not release the specific apartment address, citing privacy concerns tied to domestic cases. Neighbors in the building’s corridor told officers they heard raised voices before patrol cars arrived, according to the incident log, but no detailed witness accounts were available from law enforcement as of the latest update. In the entryway, officers reported encountering Schaffer after he had returned; the report says he spoke briefly with police before being taken into custody. The department documented the scene and collected the tool alleged to be used. Whether laboratory testing will be necessary was not decided at the time of booking.
Schaffer appeared in court for an initial setting Friday afternoon, when a judge could consider bond, pretrial release conditions, and a no-contact order protecting the victim. The court is expected to schedule a probable cause hearing and set a timetable for discovery, including the release of the full police report, photographs, and any medical documentation. Prosecutors could seek to add counts depending on the final injury assessments. Defense counsel may request a speedy preliminary hearing or move to modify bond conditions if imposed. If the case advances, it would typically proceed to a preliminary hearing within weeks to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send it to a grand jury or set it for trial.
By Friday evening, the building’s hallway was quiet, with repair tape visible on a door near the unit, according to residents who spoke outside the complex and declined to give their names. One tenant described hearing “a short burst of yelling and then hurried footsteps” before patrol cars pulled up. Another said they saw officers photographing a tool bag and a bathroom doorway. “It was fast. Then suddenly there were lights in the lot,” a neighbor said. Residents said they expect management to review any security recordings if cameras cover the entry and stairs. Police have not said whether such footage exists or whether it will be part of the case file.
As of Saturday, Schaffer remained held at the Cass County Jail on the two felony counts. The investigation continues as prosecutors prepare formal charging documents for the next court setting and review statements from those present in the apartment. Officials said additional updates will depend on the court’s scheduling order and the availability of records. Further filings are expected to clarify the extent of the woman’s injuries, any protective orders in place, and whether analysts conducted additional testing on the pliers recovered at the scene.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.