Randall Romeo Caron, who is accused of stabbing his girlfriend and assaulting police officers, plans to plead guilty this afternoon.

The plea is a last-minute deal before the trial, which was scheduled to begin Tuesday. According to County Attorney Craig Nelson, Caron is accepting a first-degree assault charge, and in exchange the prosecution is downgrading two counts of first-degree assault against the police officers to second-degree and fourth-degree counts.

Caron, 32, was arrested last November after stabbing Annette Marie Lestrud, 33, multiple times in her residence at the Channel View Apartments in Albert Lea. Lestrud was hospitalized but recovered.

A searching party of Albert Lea police officers found Caron the following day in the woods near Railroad Avenue. Caron lunged with a knife at the officers. Cornered against a tree, Officer Jesus Cantu discharged his gun and shot Caron in the chest.

Caron was hospitalized for five days. He dismissed his public defender and hired a private attorney for his defense in June.