According to court documents, a Wisconsin man is charged with pistol-whipping a relative and reportedly tossing a baby against a wall. Raphael A. Banks, 34, was charged on Wednesday with four counts of violence and one count of intimidation, according to Lake Superior Court documents.
He was detained without bail after his arrest on Wednesday. On Mondays at 9 p.m. W., Merrillville Police received a call reporting a disturbance in the 1600 block of 57th Avenue. According to the complaint, a family member claimed that Banks forced open her bathroom door, brandished a gun at her, and threatened to shoot her.
The baby, who was 11 months old, was allegedly snatched by her arms and thrown against a wall when the man’s wife attempted to stop Banks at the bathroom door. Then Banks started flogging the man with a handgun. The charges allege that the wife said she was struck once in the face with the weapon.
The baby was not harmed, according to the records. Banks eloped with a family member. Later, he was detained at a traffic stop in Hammond, according to court records. The victim said that various family branches were “fighting,” according to the documents.
The trial date has not yet been scheduled.
