Georgia man charged with assault after bringing gun to Mystic Lake

A Georgia man is now facing charges in Scott County after he allegedly brought a gun to Mystic Lake Casino last week.

Court records show 39-year-old Robert Lee West, from Stockbridge, Ga., is charged with three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as having a gun in public without a permit and obstructing the legal process.

Prior Lake police were called to Mystic Lake just after 4 p.m. Friday after security said a man at the hotel had pointed a gun at security personnel.

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A criminal complaint states that Mystic Lake security personnel told officers it all started when they went to check on an unauthorized guest after housekeeping said a man had pushed passed them to get into the room. After using a key to get into the room, security found the man — later identified as West — in the bathroom and told him he needed to leave the property.

That’s when a security supervisor said he first noticed the butt of a gun sticking out of a pocket on a suitcase that West had with him. West then ignored commands, grabbed the gun and pointed it at the three security officers before making his way to the elevator, then the gaming floor and out of the building.

The complaint notes that surveillance video confirmed the security officers’ account of the incident.

Prior Lake police then responded and were pointed to West by security, who was walking away from officers with his hand in his pocket. Security noted he’d put the gun in his pocket.

Court documents state that West ignored officers’ commands to get on the ground and kept walking away. After an officer fired two less-lethal foam rounds at West, he allegedly hid between vehicles in the parking lot, occasionally putting his hands in the air and making comments about “the Masons.” Eventually, he lay down and was taken into custody, and officers found a loaded, semi-automatic handgun in his pocket.

A second-degree assault charge carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison, a $14,000 fine or both, if convicted.