Waukesha stabbing, street fight; accused pleads no contest to 3 charges

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Adam Malinski

WAUKESHA - A Waukesha man accused of stabbing one man and beating another in August 2024 pleaded no contest on June 18 to three of seven charges against him. 

Adam Malinski pleaded no contest to charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, carrying a concealed knife and substantial battery. The court then found him guilty of those charges. 

Four other charges against Malinski were dismissed and read into the court record for the purposes of sentencing. That sentencing date is set for Aug. 21.

Case details

What we know:

Officers were called to the area of Barstow and Bank around 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2024. According to a criminal complaint, homeless people were fighting in the street before the stabbing.

One of the victims was found in a gazebo behind the Lee Sherman Dreyfus State Office Building with a stab wound to his chest; he was taken to a hospital. Prosecutors said the victim told police a man named "Adam" was trying to start a fight and the two got into an argument before he was stabbed.

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The complaint states a second victim, who was involved in the fight that night, told police that what happened stemmed from an incident on Aug. 23. The victim said he was at Hope Center and Malinski "threw punches" at him. His injuries required stitches.

The second victim was near the gazebo when Malinski started to punch him on Aug. 26, the complaint states. The victim punched back, but said Malinski pulled out a knife. That's when the stabbing victim got up and got involved in the fight.

Police said there has been a "recent uptick" in violence among the homeless community, per the complaint, and one person – Adam Malinski – had been involved in "significant" fights. In one incident, Malinksi was accused of pulling a knife.

After the stabbing, Malinksi was found walking through Cutler Park with blood on his neck. When officers approached, the complaint states he was "verbally challenging the situation" and told officers he had a knife in his pocket. There were small specks of blood on the blade.

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Malinski denied being in a fight, according to the complaint, and said the blood on his body was from falling on glass. He also said his name was Adam, but denied that he was Adam Malinski.