Oakdale Man Sits on Alleged Assailant Until Police Arrive, Complaint Says

An Oakdale man called 911, rushed across the street, placed a man in a chokehold and sat on top of him until police arrived during a mid-April domestic incident.

That’s according to the criminal complaint against Patrick Selmer Rockney, of North St. Paul, who faces a felony domestic assault by strangulation charge.

Oakdale police on April 15 were dispatched to the 6400 block of 55th Street, where they found a witness sitting on top of Rockney, 27.

The witness told officers he lives across the street and saw Rockney beating a woman, according to the criminal complaint. He told police he had to put Rockney in a headlock to get him to stop choking and punching her.

The woman, Rockney’s girlfriend, told police that she didn’t remember what happened, but had red marks on her neck, bruising around her left cheek and a cut on her temple, the complaint says. The couple’s two children were home at the time and were “very frightened” by the incident, according to the complaint.

The woman’s sister was home at the time and reported that Rockney got upset when his girlfriend went outside to smoke and punched her several times and choked her until she may have lost consciousness.

The witness who sat on top of Rockney told officers the alleged assailant passed out after he put him in the headlock.

Rockney was intoxicated and uncooperative when questioned by police. He was arrested on his birthday.

If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

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