CONCORD — A 35-year-old city man is being held on $100,000 cash bail, accused of trying to attack a man with a knife Saturday afternoon while the man was holding his 3-year-old daughter's hand.

David Best of 75 Elm St., was arraigned in 6th Circuit Court, Concord District Division, on felony charges of attempted murder, attempted first-degree assault, reckless conduct and falsifying physical evidence.

No one was hurt in the incident, but the victim, Adam Shifrin, 38, was holding the hand of his 3-year-old daughter when Best came at him about 1:30 p.m. Saturday outside 1 West St.

Shifrin told police he had been having problems with someone he knows only as “Dave” who had been threatening him for the past month.

According to court records, on Saturday Shifrin received a text message from Best saying he was coming to Shifrin's apartment to kill him. Shifrin thought he was bluffing and took his 3-year-old daughter to the West Street playground. Then he received another text from Best saying he was in town and coming over.

Shifrin answered Best, telling him not to come over because he had his daughter.
Shifrin was walking back toward his apartment with his daughter when he saw Best in front of his apartment building. They started yelling back and forth, and Shifrin pushed his daughter behind him, protecting her as Best came at him with a knife and tried to slash him across his face and neck, according to a sworn affidavit by master police officer Amanda M. Reed.

Shifrin pulled his head back, avoiding the knife, and then used his shirt to hit Best in the hand to try and knock the knife out of his hand. Best held onto the knife and came at Shifrin again, this time trying to slash his throat, police said. Shifrin pushed him away with his foot.

Samantha Casiano, 24, a friend of Shifrin's, interceded and shoved Best, who then left, heading north through the McDonald's parking lot.

Nicholle Hunter, 30, was on the scene when police arrived. She said Shifrin called her and asked her to come outside to get his daughter. He told her “Dave” was coming over to kill him and he didn't want his daughter to be there.

Hunter said she and Casiano went outside and saw Best crossing West Street from the parking lot at McDonald's. Best asked where Shifrin was, and Hunter told him to leave, saying Shifrin's daughter was with him and not to do this with a kid around.

Just then, Hunter said she saw Shifrin walking east on West Street, and Best ran toward him, pulling a knife out of his pants as he ran and extended the blade.
She told police he “swiped” at Shifrin and nearly hit him in the face with the knife. She said Shifrin's daughter was walking next to her father, holding his hand, when Best ran at him with the knife. Hunter yelled she was calling 911, and Best ran off toward McDonald's.

The attempted murder was also witnessed by a McDonald's employee working the drive-thru window, according to court documents.

Best was arrested soon after the incident. According to court documents, he admitted having a knife which he threw into a trash can in front of McDonald's but said he had not intended to stab Shifrin. He said he tried to punch Shifrin in the face but missed and only had the knife in his hand to make his hand stronger “like brass knuckles,” he told police. His intent, he said, was to punch his “nose out” or to “break his jaw or something.”

City prosecutor Tracy Connolly told Judge Gerard Boyle that Best has a criminal record dating back to 2001 that includes convictions for criminal threatening and simple assault.

He was in Circuit Court in May for violating a protective order issued in a domestic violence case. He was given a nine-month sentence, with all but 13 days suspended, and was placed on probation for 12 months. Prosecutors filed a motion to have the suspended sentence imposed. A hearing date has yet to be scheduled.

A probable cause hearing was set for Aug. 10.