Baseball Bat Assault Near the California Street Footbridge in Missoula

On August 4, 2022, Missoula Police Department officers responded to the area of the California Street footbridge for a report of a person hit in the head with a baseball bat. The suspect was heading north and was identified as Carl Ringkamp. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold explains. 

“Carl Ringkamp is being held on charges of assault with a weapon after silently running up and striking the victim in the head with a baseball bat multiple times,” Arnold said. “Officers on scene observed the victim holding a shirt to their head and blood pouring down their face. Medical responded and the victim was transported to a local hospital.” 

According to court documents, five separate individuals witnessed the assault.

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“Multiple witness statements were collected and a bystander captured the assault on camera,” Arnold said. “Ringkamp was taken into custody without further incident after being located a short distance away.”  

One witness saw Ringkamp run down the trail and hit the victim in the head with a bat multiple times. Ringkamp did not say anything while he was running up. Another witness helped break it up and tried to run after Ringkamp, but couldn’t find him. Additional witnesses corroborated other witness statements. 

Later, at the hospital, the victim explained that one of the witnesses was his stepsister and had previously dated Ringkamp. On a prior occasion, the victim told Ringkamp to stay away from his stepsister. 

A bystander was able to capture part of the assault on cell phone video, which shows Ringkamp running up to the victim and hitting him in the head at least twice. 

Ringkamp is currently being charged with felony assault with a weapon.  

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.