Man claims to be ‘Ranger,’ assaults Uber Driver over wrong address: Charges

(FOX 9) - A man is facing charges after allegedly assaulting an Uber driver over a wrong address.

Timothy Wade Hampton, 55, of Shoreview, is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon after police say on Dec. 30, 2022, he assaulted an Uber driver both in his car and at a nearby Holiday gas station.

According to police, at around 9:49 p.m. Ramsey County deputies responded to an assault at the Holiday located at 1920 Hwy 96 in Arden Hills.

Responding deputies spoke with an Uber driver who said he was giving two passengers, including Hampton, a ride to an address in Shoreview.

According to the report, the passengers started to argue with the victim about going the wrong direction when the driver took a route suggested by his phone. 

Hampton then stuck a sharp object up to the driver’s neck and told him to put a different address in his phone, reportedly telling him "I’m a Ranger… Change the address."

He followed Hampton’s orders because he feared he would get cut, according to the driver, while the other passenger was telling him to calm down.

Both passengers then exited his vehicle on the Highway 96 off-ramp. 

When the driver pulled into the Holiday station to see if his vehicle was damaged, Hampton again approached the victim, still holding the sharp object in his hand. After brief shoving, Hampton then left.

Deputies later located Hampton and the passenger in the nearby area, and they acknowledged that they had an argument with the driver.

Surveillance footage from the Holiday corroborates the victim’s account of the incident.

The driver also recorded part of the incident in the car, in which Hampton can be heard to saying, "I’m strong. I’m a Ranger… I’m a Ranger and you’re a Somalian." 

In a post-Miranda interview, Hampton said he, "did not remember getting into an Uber and does not remember how he ended up in jail." 

He also acknowledged that he was in the military.