Charges: Man Followed Driver Who Cut Him Off, Threatened Him With Crowbar In Parking Lot
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 20-year-old Andover man is accused of following a driver who cut him off on a highway in Blaine and threatening him with a crowbar in a parking lot, according to charges filed in Anoka County.
Mishael Bai Garyar Bates is charged with one felony count of threats of violence and one misdemeanor charge of fifth-degree assault in connection to the November 8, 2017 incident.
Bates is accused of following a driver who cut him off on Highway 65 in Blaine and eventually confronting him in a restaurant parking lot in Spring Lake Park. He allegedly grabbed a crowbar and told the other driver "I'm going to beat your a--."
According to the complaint, the man he confronted was standing near the restaurant and said he felt trapped. So, the man punched Bates in the face. They then fought on the ground. The crowbar was not used in the fight.
Bates told police the other driver cut him off and tried to run him and his passenger off the road. He said the other man hit him first, so he fought back in self-defense. However, a witness who saw both the driving conduct and parking lot altercation said that Bates was the aggressor in both instances.
Officers also talked with the passenger in Bates' vehicle, who called 911 shortly after the other driver cut them off. The passenger told Bates numerous times to stop before he pursued the other driver into the parking lot, as well as telling him no several times during the fight.
If convicted, Bates could face up to 5 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine for the threats of violence charge.