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Charges: Man With Permit To Carry Firearm Stops Potential Bat Attacker

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man with a permit to carry a firearm needed to fend off a man who threatened him and his wife with a bat in St. Cloud last week, according to charges filed in Stearns County.

Philip Ryan Keys, 30, faces one felony count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to the Wednesday, Oct. 5 incident.

According to the criminal complaint, officers were dispatched to a Walmart at 3601 2nd Street South in St. Cloud on the report of an assault.

There, two married victims told police that a man – identified by police as Keys -- earlier approached them while dragging a bat and asked them if they've ever been hit in the head with a bat. Thinking he was kidding, they began walking away toward their car, the complaint said.

The male victim, who works security and has a valid permit to carry a firearm, heard Keys take a deep breath and raise his bat to strike one of them. That's when he drew his firearm, pointed it at Keys and ordered him to drop the bat. Keys then allegedly dropped the bat and told the male victim to shoot him. He then left the area.

A short time later, officers located Keys, who matched the description the victims gave police. Keys allegedly denied being at the location of the incident and told police that he was at a bar drinking all night. He also said he was suicidal. However, officers obtained surveillance video from Walmart that showed the assault.

If convicted, Keys faces up to seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine.

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