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Dad Guilty Of Threatening Little League Coach

ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―

A jury found a St. Paul man guilty of making terroristic threats for threatening his son's Little League baseball coach last summer.  Prosecutors said 47-year-old Wade Campbell told Noe Ambriz that he was going to "shoot him down like a dog."

Police said in June 2007, Campbell's son struck out during a baseball game on St. Paul's East Side.  Campbell chastised his 12-year-old and was asked to leave.  Campbell then confronted Ambriz yelling that he wasn't giving Campbell's son enough playing time.   Campbell also made racial comments to Ambriz, who is of Mexican descent, but was born in the U.S.  

Ambriz, 30, called police two days later saying Campbell had threatened him.  Ambriz said Campbell drove up behind the Ambriz family's residence and stopped. The coach and his wife said that after a short stay, Campbell drove away.    

Ambriz said about 20 minutes later Campbell called and said he would shoot Ambriz "down like a dog."  The caller allegedly then said, "I'll be over in five minutes."  Police arrested Campbell, a carpenter who has three other children.

According to court records, Campbell was sentenced to 20 days in the workhouse in 1991 after violating an order for protection that had been granted to a former girlfriend. He also pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in 2003.

After the unanimous verdict was read in court, Campbell looked to his wife and family and said, "Sorry."   The jury later voted no on whether Campbell's crime was racially motivated.  If it had been, the penalty could have been increased.  

Campbell is in jail awaiting sentencing on March 26.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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