PORT ANGELES — Thomas Peelle Peterson has been charged with an alleged assault at a Port Angeles coffee shop.
Peterson, 21, was charged Wednesday with single counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful display of a weapon.
Port Angeles police said a masked Peterson brandished a knife and stepped toward a man at the Higher Grounds Espresso last Friday morning.
Peterson was chased by a group of customers to his mother’s residence on the 1100 block of West Eight Street, where he was arrested without further incident, court papers said.
Bail was set at $10,000 for Peterson at his initial court appearance Monday. Peterson is scheduled to be arraigned March 13.
Defense attorney Harry Gasnick of Clallam Public Defender objected to the finding of probable cause against his client, according to the minutes of the Wednesday court hearing.
Superior Court Judge Brent Basden found probable cause for the filing of the charges and scheduled a review hearing for 1:30 p.m. today.
Port Angeles Police Officer Jeffery Ordona said Peterson was wearing a skull mask during the alleged assault.
Peterson fled from the store holding a knife and a bag containing $48.96, giving patrons the impression that he had committed a robbery, Ordona said in the affidavit for probable cause.
Peterson is not believed to have taken the money during a robbery, police said.
Peterson told police he went to the store to get food and wore a mask because he didn’t want people to see him.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at [email protected].
