EVERETT — An Angel of the Winds Arena employee stabbed his boss after a confrontation about a schedule change, according to charges filed last week in Snohomish County Superior Court.
Oleg Byesyedin, 64, faces one count of first-degree assault for injuring his supervisor on the arena floor earlier this month. The injured man believed his employee brought the knife to work specifically to assault him, charging papers say.
Byesyedin’s defense attorney Kenneth Williams declined to comment Thursday.
Byesyedin worked at the venue, setting up and breaking down equipment for events.
Around 1 p.m. Dec. 2, the defendant confronted his boss as other arena staff prepared the venue for a “for KING + COUNTRY” concert later that night. Byesyedin, who claimed to be his supervisor’s “best employee,” asked him why he was not being scheduled more hours, court papers say.
The defendant “waved some paperwork” in front of the boss and demanded a change to his schedule, the charges say. The man told him they had already discussed this. The boss was not going to adjust the schedule.
Security footage reportedly showed Byesyedin pull out a silver fixed-blade knife. The defendant approached the boss from behind, reached around his right side and stabbed him in the stomach, the charges say.
The boss initially thought he had been punched until he saw the knife in Byesyedin’s hand, according to the charges.
The injured man yelled for help before Byesyedin slashed his hand and stabbed him in the stomach a second time, according to the charging papers. Bysyedin then put the knife back in his coat and punched his boss in the face.
As Bysyedin tried to walk away, a “large group” of employees surrounded him and held his arms down until police arrived. On the ground next to him was the fixed-blade knife and a small bottle of alcohol, according to the charges.
Arena staff commonly have pocket knives or box cutters to help with event set up, the injured man told police. Byesyedin’s weapon, with a 5-inch blade, was much larger than what employees typically carry, he said.
The defendant was reportedly uncooperative when officers arrested him, trying to reach inside his waistband. The injured man was taken to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett for surgery.
“We are aware of the recent incident at Angel Of The Winds Arena,” arena spokesperson Kat Guenet said in a statement Dec. 4. “We take such incidents seriously and are fully cooperating with the authorities. Our priority is the safety and well-being of our employees.”
This week, Byesedin remained in the Snohomish County Jail with bail set at $150,000. He has no criminal history.
Maya Tizon: 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.
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