photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The city-run campsite for people experiencing homelessness is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in North Lawrence.

Updated at 5:05 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, 2023

Two people have been charged with battering a resident who was donating food and a law enforcement officer at the city-run camp for people experiencing homelessness in North Lawrence.

The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. Saturday when a Lawrence animal control officer, who was delivering pet food to the camp, requested emergency assistance after a 35-year-old man allegedly attacked, without warning, a person who was also delivering food to the camp, said Sgt. Drew Fennelly with the Lawrence Police Department.

The animal control officer was able to separate the attacker from the resident, and police arrived and took the man into custody. While police were loading the man into a patrol vehicle, a 39-year-old woman allegedly attempted to intervene and battered a patrol sergeant, Fennelly said. The woman was taken into custody.

Vantino F. Peaches

The man, Vantino Frederick Peaches, 35, of Lawrence, is charged with one misdemeanor count of battery, according to charging documents. The charges allege that he battered a man named Jerod E. Buffalohead, who, like Vantino, has a prior conviction for a violent offense.

Buffalohead was convicted in 2008 of voluntary manslaughter after he pleaded guilty in the Feb. 2, 2008, death of Jerry Deshazer, 62, after a night of drinking, as the Journal-World reported. Buffalohead was sentenced to five years in prison on that charge.

Peaches was convicted in 2018 of one felony count of aggravated battery after stabbing a man over “a girl and money,” as the Journal-World previously reported. Peaches has additional convictions in Douglas County, including felony forgery and felony reporting of a false crime.

The woman, Kathleen Florence Daney, 39, of Lawrence, is charged with one misdemeanor count of battery on a law enforcement officer and one misdemeanor count of interference, according to charging documents.

During their first appearance in court on Monday, Chief Judge James McCabria appointed Matthew Frederick to be Peaches’ defense attorney and set a $500 own-recognizance bond. McCabria appointed Sam Allison-Natale to represent Daney and set a $2,000 own-recognizance bond for her. Own-recognizance means they do not need to pay any money to be released from jail but may be fined if they fail to appear at their next court date.

Peaches is scheduled to appear on Feb. 28 for a status conference while Daney is scheduled to appear on April 18.