A Saint Paul man pulled a knife and threatened to kill another man over a cart of juice in a Union Depot bathroom, prosecutors say.
The confrontation happened on September 6, 2026, inside a bathroom at Union Depot in Saint Paul, according to the criminal complaint.
Meryl Calvin Cooper, 68, faces charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and threats of violence. The charges were filed September 8 in Ramsey County District Court.
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According to court documents, the victim was in a bathroom stall with his cart of juice coolers when he saw Cooper reaching for a juice. The victim told Cooper not to take his juices. Cooper then looked at the victim, pulled a pocketknife from his pocket, opened the blade and brandished it at the victim. Cooper told the victim, “I am going to kill you.” The victim told police he felt threatened and believed Cooper was going to kill him.
Surveillance video from Union Depot showed Cooper brandishing the knife, the complaint states. Officers arrested Cooper at the scene and recovered a pocketknife with its blade open from his pocket.
After being advised of his rights, Cooper agreed to speak with police. He claimed to know the victim, but when told the victim said he did not know Cooper, Cooper responded that fentanyl had affected the victim. Cooper told officers he pulled the knife because he felt threatened.
The complaint notes Cooper has seven prior felony convictions dating back to 1996, including forcible rape, two predatory offender registration violations, assault in the second-degree, two simple burglaries for inhabited dwellings and theft. In the prior assault in the second-degree conviction, Cooper threatened a man with a knife at a light rail platform.
The complaint also states Cooper was granted conditional release on felony charges in Hennepin County less than three weeks before the Union Depot incident. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday, November 19.
Cooper is scheduled to appear in Ramsey County court on November 19, 2026.
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
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
