An elderly Junction City man who fired shots into a snowbank, allegedly to intimidate his Hmong neighbors, will stand trial. Eighty-year-old Henry Kaminski was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Monday. His lawyers waived the court appearance, meaning the case will proceed to trial.
After firing the shots on March 6th, Kaminski surrendered after a three hour standoff. A police report says Kaminski made racial and disparaging comments about Hmong people following an argument with his Hmong neighbors. One of his neighbors was outside at the time the shots were fired.
He then allegedly fired a round of gunshots into the ground before going inside his home. He later claimed he was drunk at the time, and wasn’t specifically targeting the family next door. But his neighbors say Kaminski had a history of angry confrontations with them. They moved away shortly after Kaminski returned to his home after being released on bond.
Kaminski is scheduled for arraignment on May 22.
WSAU