Lexington council candidate allegedly assaulted victim with piece of house trim
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- Candidate Matt Miniard allegedly assaulted a man with a solid piece of house trim Feb. 14.
- Judge sent the case to a grand jury; judge ordered Miniard to hire private counsel.
- Miniard was removed from the county conservation board amid alleged threats and other accusations.
A Lexington city council candidate allegedly used a piece of house trim to assault a man and threatened to kill him on Valentine’s Day, according to new testimony in the case.
Matt Miniard, 69, of Lexington, is charged with second-degree assault in the Feb. 14 incident. He is running for a third time for a seat on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council after previously serving on — and being ousted from — the Fayette County district conservation board.
His weekend arrest is the latest in a string of legal woes and stalking allegations. Friday, a judge heard preliminary testimony in the case in Fayette County district court.
Last week, officers were dispatched to Miniard’s home on Burley Avenue after he called 911 and said he was attacked, according to Lexington police officer Angela Lopez-Cruz, who testified during a preliminary hearing Friday. When officers arrived, they found Miniard pinning the victim to the ground.
“Mr. Miniard had his hands placed on the other subject’s arms, holding them down, and his knees placed around the subject’s chest area,” Lopez-Cruz said.
Miniard allegedly used a piece of house trim, described as a solid piece of wood, to attack the victim, Lopez-Cruz testified. One end of the piece of house trim was covered in blood.
The assault reportedly started after the victim shoved Miniard to “create some distance” during a dispute because Miniard was upset after a long day of work. Miniard allegedly threatened to kill the victim while standing over him, according to Lopez-Cruz.
The victim had injuries to the face and blood coming from the top of his head. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. Lopez-Cruz said there were no visible injuries on Miniard’s body, and officers found inconsistencies in his recollection of the altercation.
Fayette District Judge Melissa Murphy sent Miniard’s case to a grand jury, which will decide whether to indict him on the assault charge. Miniard was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center Feb. 14, but released two days later after posting a $5,000 bond, according to court records.
Murphy also ordered Miniard to hire a private attorney. He was represented by a lawyer from the Department of Public Advocacy during Friday’s hearing, but Murphy withdrew the attorney from the case because Miniard owns property.
Miniard was not immediately available for comment.
In 2023, Miniard was removed from the conservation board after failing to sign his oath of office and allegedly threatening a fellow board member.
In late December, he filed to run for the 9th District council seat, which includes neighborhoods near Reynolds Road in south Lexington. Miniard is running against incumbent Whitney Elliott Baxter, first elected to the seat in 2020.
It’s Miniard’s third attempt at winning a council seat after defeats for at-large positions in 2018 and 2022.
Before Miniard’s ouster from the conservation board, he was accused of harassing a fellow conservation board member, including driving past their house and allegedly threatening to kill him, according to court documents.
He has also been accused of aggressive behavior toward tenants and a former girlfriend. He spent time in jail in 2013 for failing to follow a protective order.
