Murrieta Police Arrest Felon for Allegedly Attacking Neighbor with Sword

A 41-year-old probationer accused of attacking his neighbor with a sword at a Murrieta condominium complex, then barricading himself in his residence until a SWAT unit forcibly took him into custody, was charged Monday with assault with a deadly weapon and other offenses.

Michael John Keen was arrested Thursday following an hours-long Murrieta Police Department operation.

Along with the assault count, Keen is charged with false imprisonment, vandalism and probation violations.

The defendant, who was being held in lieu of $200,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center, was slated to make his initial court appearance Monday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

According to police, shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, Keen and his neighbor, a man identified only as “R.G.,” living in the unit directly across from Keen in the Madison Park Condominiums on Madison Avenue, were involved in an unspecified confrontation.

During the exchange, the defendant retrieved a sword and “swung it at his neighbor, striking him across the face and hand,” police Lt. Steve Whiddon said.

“Following the assault, the victim fled to a nearby residence to seek help, and the police were notified,” Whiddon said. “The suspect remained inside his home and barricaded the doors and windows.”

The victim was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, from which he is still recovering. Patrol officers attempted to make contact with Keen, establishing a perimeter around the building, according to the lieutenant.

He said that, due to the risks involved, the Southwest Cities SWAT Team, comprised of personnel from the Murrieta, Menifee and Hemet police departments, was summoned to take charge of the scene.

For more than three hours, attempts were made to negotiate Keen’s peaceful surrender, but he refused to exit the residence, Whiddon alleged.

“The team devised a plan and made entry into the suspect’s condo,” the lieutenant said. “Once inside, the suspect was taken into custody. … No injuries to the suspect or officers were reported.”

Court records show Keen has prior convictions in Riverside County for making criminal threats and violating a restraining order. He additionally has separate convictions in another jurisdiction that weren’t listed.