A man appeared in Racine County Felony Court on Thursday on an aggravated battery charge after he beat a man with a baseball bat following a road rage incident that happened in November.
Keith Banks, 56, of Racine, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office in December with aggravated battery, use of a dangerous weapon, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct, use of a dangerous weapon.
If convicted of all three charges, Banks faces up to seven years in prison and/or fined up to $21,000. He appeared in court on a summons on Thursday. He was released on a $2,000 signature bond.
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According to the criminal complaint, officers with the Racine Police Department responded to a road rage incident that turned into an assault at 11:41 p.m. Nov. 27 in the parking lot at Douglas Hardware, 20130 Douglas Ave.
The man who was assaulted told police that he was driving a car on Mount Pleasant Street and Layard Avenue when another car cut him off. Banks, who was later identified as the driver, then stopped his car, got out and threatened him with a baseball bat. The man used his phone to photograph Banks, who then got back into his car and drove southbound.
But Banks then followed him to the hardware store and confronted him again with the baseball bat. Banks then swung at him and struck his right hand, knocked the phone out of his hand, and struck his left shoulder. Getting into his car, Banks then left the scene. Officers located him, but he did not come to the door.
A preliminary hearing has been set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 24 in Racine County Felony Court.