ZEBULON - Police say a local man will not be charged with assault after striking a Garner man in the face with a shovel on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

That’s because Sherman Jones, 22, of 602 Sexton Ave. in Zebulon, was acting in self defense when he swung the tool at25-year-old David Dewon Reed, of 817 Delta St. in Garner.

Police responded to a call at Mr. G’s on S. Wakefield Street at about 4 p.m. that Wednesday after a fight broke out inside the convenience store. Zebulon Lt. Scott Finch said Reed and his brother Donovan Dion Reed, 23, of 2732 Eunice Lane in Wendell, jumped Jones.

“I think it was some bad blood between the two relatives and the other guy — just a history between them,” Finch said.

Jones fled the store and ran around the side of the building where he found a shovel on the adjacent property and used it defend himself. David Reed was struck in the face and transported to WakeMed with serious injuries according to the report.

Finch said the fight resulted in cuts and bruises on both sides of the argument. While the injury Reed sustained from the shovel appeared to be the worse of all injuries, Finch said it didn’t look as bad as one would imagine.

“It was a cut,” Finch said. “You would think with a shovel it would be something traumatic, but it didn’t look as traumatic as what you would expect.”

While each of the Reed brothers were charged with misdemeanor assault for jumping Jones inside the convenience store, Finch said the District Attorney’s office viewed Jones’ actions as non-criminal.

“He was not charged with assault because of the attempt to flee and get away and the assault that occurred in the store,” he said.

Finch said the blow by the shovel ended the dispute.