Court documents reveal violent past of LA Fitness stabbing suspect

When Bryan Fearman walked into the Lawrence LA Fitness last week and, authorities say, plunged a knife between the shoulder blades of his on-again, off-again boyfriend, he was making good on a promise.

During the course of their troubled yearlong relationship, Fearman told his lover that he would hurt him, according to court documents. His boyfriend told police that Fearman choked him, beat him and tried to stab him with a broken bottle. He said Fearman threatened the lives of his boyfriend’s family and damaged their property. He said Fearman went to his house as he slept and tried to burn it to the ground.

The tumultuous union culminated with the July 21 stabbing. The boyfriend was left lying in the middle of the fitness center with no pulse and the black handle of a 10-inch kitchen knife sticking out of his back, court documents said. He is now in fair condition.

Fearman, 22, was caught by police after fleeing the gym on foot. The 22-year-old Indianapolis man told police that he “did not care” whether his boyfriend lived or died. Fearman remains in Marion County Jail without bond on a charge of attempted murder.

It is the latest criminal charge on a record that includes felony convictions for criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and intimidation and a slew of personal protection orders.

At 5 feet 8 and 120 pounds, Fearman does not cut an imposing figure. But police reports dating to when he was 18 suggest a history of striking fear into others via threats and acts of violence.

Attempts to reach Fearman’s attorney for comment were unsuccessful.

Fearman’s first felony conviction for criminal recklessness followed a stabbing reported the night of Oct. 22, 2012, at a home in the 3200 block of Wellington Avenue. A friend of Fearman’s told police that he was asleep in his room when Fearman stabbed him in the neck with a knife, court documents said. The friend told police that he had gotten into an argument with Fearman earlier that day.

Fearman was sentenced to 182 days behind bars on July 30, 2014, nine days after the boyfriend who was later stabbed filed a personal protection order against him. It would become the fifth protection order filed against Fearman since 2011, according to online court records.

In his petition for protection, which was active at the time of the stabbing, the boyfriend outlined months of torment at the hands of his lover.

In March 2013, Fearman broke the windows out of the boyfriend’s home, bit him and tried to stab him with a broken bottle, the boyfriend alleges in the protection order.

On July 20, 2014, following weeks of text message death threats to the boyfriend and members of his family, Fearman broke the windows out of the boyfriend’s grandmother’s house as the family watched TV inside.

Police reports suggest that the boyfriend is not the only person who Fearman threatened during the course of their relationship.

In February 2014, Fearman threatened to assault a Domino’s Pizza employee over the phone while placing an order, a police report said. The employee told police that Fearman recognized his voice and grew angry because the employee had a relationship with the boyfriend.

Threats made by Fearman on June 9 led to his second felony conviction. Court documents said a woman living in an apartment in the 200 block of North Shortridge Road called police to report broken glass and vandalism caused by Fearman.

Fearman found out about the call to the police, approached the woman and told her that he would kill her and her children, court documents said. Police responding to the woman’s call found Fearman in the courtyard of the apartment.

That incident led to Fearman entering a plea agreement on a charge of felony intimidation. He was sentenced on July 6 to spend 311 days wearing an electronic monitoring device.

He would only wear it for a week.

About 12:20 a.m. on July 12, Fearman’s monitoring device went into “strap temper” status and prompted a response from Community Corrections officials, court documents said. A Community Corrections violation filed in court states that they called all numbers associated with Fearman and tried to locate him at all associated addresses.

Officials also checked on the well-being of the woman Fearman had threatened. A warrant for Fearman’s arrest was issued July 13.

That same day a family member of the boyfriend had the windows of his van smashed, a police report said, and Fearman claimed responsibility.

Three days later the former boyfriend reported several threatening phone calls from Fearman, according to a police report.

Four days later police were called to an attempted arson at the home where the former boyfriend was staying. Court documents said the homeowner told police that Fearman came to the home and placed an oxygen tank next to a gas can with a lit rag stuffed into the can.

The homeowner spotted Fearman and chased him away, court documents said. A short time later, Fearman called the boyfriend to say he would have to “try something else” when he learned that the house didn’t explode, the documents said.

The next day, Fearman took a taxi from the Central Library to the LA Fitness at 9930 Pendleton Pike shortly after 3 p.m. The boyfriend, who was working out, was stabbed moments later.

Fearman told police that he and his boyfriend continued to see each other dispute the protection order that had been active for the past year, court documents said. He added that while he was incarcerated on his felony intimidation charged, the boyfriend put about $700 in unauthorized charges on Fearman’s debit card.

Fearman said he went to the gym to discuss the charges. His boyfriend, Fearman said, said he would not pay him back.

Fearman said his boyfriend cut the electronic monitoring device from his ankle in an attempt to have Fearman arrested for a probation violation, court documents said. Fearman did not report the incident to police.

Call Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter:@justinlmack.