Self-described 'Trump supporter' charged with assaulting elderly couple with golf club over political sign
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A self-described “Trump supporter” is being charged after he allegedly assaulted an elderly couple with a golf club while they were sitting next to a homemade political sign at the corner of an intersection in White Bear Lake, Minnesota Sunday.
Mark Ulsaker, 50, of Lino Lakes is charged in Ramsey County District Court with second degree assault, threats of violence and fourth-degree assault of a peace officer.
According to the charges, at 3:18 p.m. Sunday, White Bear Lake police officers responded to Highway 96 and Centerville Road after receiving multiple 911 calls from witnesses reporting that a man was assaulting two elderly people with a golf club.
Witnesses told police a man had walked up behind an elderly couple and began swinging a golf club at both of their heads. The club broke, and the suspect punched the man in the head. He then walked back to his pickup truck, which was parked in the Walgreen’s parking lot.
The woman chased after the suspect. The suspect drove his pickup over the curb toward the victim, but did not hit her. He then drove away from the scene.
The woman told police she and her husband were minding their own business sitting on the corner next to their homemade political sign when the suspect pulled up next to them in his pickup truck and shouted an expletive through the open window, the charges say.
The couple ignored him. She said the next thing she knew, the man had approached them on foot and began, without provocation, attacking her and her husband with a golf club.
A witness provided the license plate number of the pickup to police, who learned the vehicle was registered to Ulsaker. Officers went Ulsaker’s house and attempted to take him into custody, but he resisted.
The charges say Ulsaker swung at one of the officers, but the officer blocked the blow, pushed him away and pulled out his Taser. Ulsaker eventually complied and officers took him into custody.
The officer he engaged with injured his thumb during the encounter, according to the charges.
In an interview with police, Ulsaker said he was a “Trump supporter.” He said he got mad when he saw the victims’ political sign, so he pulled up alongside them and flipped them off. He admitted to getting out of his car and approaching the couple, kicking over their sign and swinging his golf club at the female victim, according to the charges.
Ulsaker said the male victim “came after him,” so he punched him once in the head with his right fist. He admitted that he drove his truck up onto the curb to “scare” the female victim, but he did not intend to run her over.
He also admitted to swinging at the officers.