A Saint Paul man ran out of a house with a metal baton and struck another man multiple times before pulling a silver revolver, according to charges.
Hai Quoc Tran, 41, faces charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and threats of violence.
According to the complaint, officers responded to a report of an assault in Saint Paul at about 3:50 a.m. on Sept. 12.
A man told officers he and his girlfriend had followed a co-worker to the address to make sure she would be safe after an earlier altercation between the co-worker and Tran at a bar in Little Canada. The man said Tran had knocked the co-worker to the ground during that earlier confrontation.
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The complaint states that when the group arrived, the man was sitting in the backseat of his girlfriend’s vehicle. Tran ran out of the house holding a metal asp or baton and began striking the man on the chest and extremities. The victim said he curled up to protect himself and saw the metal weapon bend during the assault. He then saw Tran pull out a silver revolver, but others intervened and pulled Tran away. Tran retreated into the house.
Officers observed red marks on the victim’s chest and arms. They arrested Tran at the scene. A search of the home under a warrant turned up a bent metal asp or baton under a mattress, but officers did not find a silver revolver.
A witness confirmed the victim’s account of the assault, though she did not see a firearm herself. She told officers the victim reported that Tran had a silver revolver. Tran declined to give a statement to police.
Tran was scheduled to appear in Ramsey County court on Sept. 15.
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.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Saint Paul Man Charged After Assault Filmed by Witnesses • Saint Paul Man Charged After Kicking in Door With Axe • Saint Paul Woman Pulls Knife on 2 in Dog Dispute
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.
