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Charges: Drunken St. Paul Man Punches Cop, Threatens To Kill Him

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The morning after President Donald Trump's inauguration, a drunken St. Paul man allegedly asked customers at a gas station who they voted for before punching a police officer and threatening to kill him.

Herbert Ray Badalich, 52, is charged with making threats of violence and assaulting a peace officer in the Jan. 21 incident, documents filed in Ramsey County say.

According to a criminal complaint, St. Paul police officers were called to the SuperAmerica on the 1400 block of 7th Street West on a report that a drunken man was harassing customers and refusing to leave.

Employees at the gas station said Badalich was asking people who they voted for and hounding them as they shopped.

When police confronted Badalich, they asked him to step outside, the complaint states. In response, Badalich just stared at them. Officers noted his look was aggressive and he smelled of alcohol.

As officers moved to restrain Badalich after he reached into his waistband, a struggle ensued. Badalich punched one officer in the face, yelling, "I will f--- you up."

When the officer fell, Badalich went down with him, the complaint states. While struggling on the ground, Badalich yelled, "I'm going to f---ing kill you."

The struggle went on until officers sprayed Badalich with a chemical irritant and arrested him. While in custody, Badalich refused to speak to investigators about the incident.

During the struggle, Badalich suffered minor scrapes to his wrist and forearms, the complaint states. The officer who was punched suffered cuts and scrapes to his lip and knees.

If convicted of the two charges, Badalich faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison and/or a fine of $16,000.

Badalich's bail was at $20,000.

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