Cass Lake man pleads not guilty to baseball bat assault

BEMIDJI -- A Cass Lake man charged with third-degree assault after allegedly breaking another man’s wrist and jaw pleaded not guilty Monday, Jan. 9.

Michael Anthony Kingbird, 46, was charged with the assault in September. He was arrested Sept. 13 after officers responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence on the 19800 block of Plantation Road Southeast in Cass Lake, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint states that when officers arrived, they learned that the alleged victim had been hit multiple times with a baseball bat.

Kingbird told law enforcement that the victim had approached him and two other men and said the had a gun, according to the complaint. Kingbird also reported the victim was carrying a baseball bat and that he attacked the three men, hitting one in the back of the head.

According to the complaint, Kingbird told officers he got the bat away from the victim and “worked him over.”

Kingbird is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing Friday, March 24.