A Minneapolis woman struck a man in the head with a metal pipe near Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, leaving him with a visible laceration, according to charges.
Phyllis Evelyn Ableman, 51, faces a charge of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. The charge was filed Friday in Hennepin County District Court.
According to the criminal complaint, Minneapolis police officers were dispatched to the area of Nicollet Mall and 8th Street South at about 2:35 p.m. on September 3 after receiving a report of an assault. When officers arrived, they found the victim, an adult male, being treated by EMS for a head wound. Officers observed a visible laceration on the victim’s head and found a metal pipe near him.
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Officers learned that the suspect, described as a female, had fled the area after the assault. Officers later identified the suspect as Phyllis Evelyn Ableman and found her a short distance away near 6th Street and Nicollet Mall. Upon contact, Ableman admitted to striking the victim with the pipe. Officers arrested her and transported her to the Hennepin County Jail.
Investigators later obtained surveillance footage from the US Bank building at 800 Nicollet Mall. The video, provided by a security officer, clearly showed Ableman intentionally striking the victim with the metal pipe, according to the complaint. Additional Milestone surveillance footage was used to track Ableman’s movements after the assault.
The charge of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon alleges that Ableman assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon by striking him with a metal pipe.
About This Charge
Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). First-degree assault, alleging great bodily harm, carries up to 20 years in prison. The lower degrees range from misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
