photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center is pictured Monday, Aug. 17, 2026.

A Topeka man has been charged with aggravated battery after allegedly bashing another man in the head with a thermos outside a Lawrence grocery store.

According to an arrest affidavit in the case, the incident left a large wound on the victim, who was “covered in blood from his head to his feet” when police arrived shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Massachusetts Street Dillons.

Morgan Delp, 52, was arrested shortly thereafter and charged with a felony.

According to allegations in the affidavit, which have not been proved in court, police found a man standing in “a large amount of blood on the sidewalk” near the store. The man told police that he had said something — he didn’t say what — to a man walking by who responded by striking him in the head with “a coffee cup.”

The store manager accessed camera footage of the incident for police to review. Officers said that video, which lacked audio, showed Delp and the other man talking near the concrete planters on the west side of the store in what appeared to be a dispute. Eventually the other man pulled out a knife and held it “down at his side during the altercation.” The video did not show him attempting to stab or use the knife, police said.

In response, Delp walked over to his bags, grabbed a thermos and struck the man on the left side of the head, causing him to bleed profusely and to stumble around before tossing his knife into a planter.

Delp followed the man briefly, then grabbed his bags and left, according to the affidavit. Police radioed a suspect description of Delp, and he was located and detained near the store.

Delp was released on a $7,000 bond and was ordered to not return to the store. He was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a status conference.

The affidavit did not provide any information about the alleged victim’s medical condition.