A 68-year-old Saint Paul man is facing felony charges in Ramsey County District Court after allegedly displaying an open pocketknife and threatening a stranger during an argument over a cart of juice at Union Depot. Meryl Calvin Cooper was arrested at the scene on September 6, and prosecutors filed charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and threats of violence on September 8, according to the criminal complaint.
According to the complaint, the confrontation occurred in a bathroom, where the victim was with a cart of juice coolers. The victim told police that Cooper reached toward one of the drinks, and that Cooper opened a pocketknife after being told not to take it. The victim said he felt threatened and believed Cooper intended to kill him. The incident was also reported by mncrime.com.
Surveillance Video and Arrest
Surveillance video described in the criminal complaint allegedly captured Cooper displaying the knife. Officers arrested him at Union Depot and recovered an open pocketknife from his pocket. After being advised of his rights, Cooper spoke with police and said he pulled the knife because he felt threatened.
The charges were filed September 8 in Ramsey County District Court. Cooper is scheduled to appear in court on November 19. Ramsey County felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul.
Union Depot Context
Union Depot says its property has more than 250 security cameras and uses card-access technology to protect restricted areas, according to Union Depot. Those security measures provide broader property context for the surveillance described in the complaint but do not establish the outcome of Cooper’s case. CBS Minnesota reported in May 2022 that a separate Union Depot light-rail-station case involved a man charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault after his girlfriend’s throat was allegedly slashed, a domestic assault case distinct from Cooper’s alleged confrontation with a stranger…