A Saint Paul man is accused of hitting a police officer in the head with a flashlight and biting another officer’s arm after he was stopped on a bicycle without lights, according to a criminal complaint.
Tee Peh, 25, faces two felony counts of fourth-degree assault on a peace officer causing demonstrable bodily harm and a felony count of possessing burglary or theft tools. The complaint was issued Oct. 20 in Ramsey County District Court, and bail was set at $40,000.
According to the complaint, Saint Paul police officers saw Peh riding a bicycle without the required lighting near Dale Street and Geranium Avenue at about 4:51 a.m. Oct. 18. He was dressed in dark clothing, carried a dark backpack and had his hood pulled up. Officers knew the area for streetlamp wire thefts: 80 to 90 percent of the streetlamps there do not work because thieves have stolen their copper wire, the complaint says.
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When officers stopped him, Peh at first gave a false name, the complaint says. While patting down his backpack for weapons, officers felt a large spool of wire inside. Peh said he was carrying the backpack for a friend and did not know what was in it.
During the pat-down, Peh became combative, pulled away and struck one officer twice on the side of the head with his flashlight, according to the complaint. Officers wrestled him to the ground, and he bit another officer hard on the arm. Officers used force and a Taser to get him to let go.
The complaint states that one officer had visible swelling and scratches to the side of his head and a swollen lower lip. The other officer had a visible bite mark on his arm.
Inside Peh’s backpack, officers found a spool of copper wire, Allen wrenches and wire cutters. The complaint notes that Allen wrenches are used to remove the covers from streetlamps.
Each assault count carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a $6,000 fine or both, according to the complaint.
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Maplewood Man Charged After Gunfire Follows Cedar Street Fight • Saint Paul Man Charged After Multiple Assaults at Home • Man Charged After Firing at Car Outside Saint Paul Home
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; Ramsey County Community Corrections operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
