Man accused of using knife on Boomland vending machine

A Sikeston, Missouri, man was in jail Friday on a charge of felony property damage after Boomland employees reported he repeatedly hit a coin machine with a large knife in an attempt to steal money Thursday afternoon.

Online court records show Roger Bannister, 44, also faces a misdemeanor theft charge in connection with the incident.

Employees at Boomland, 6399 State Highway 77 in Benton, Missouri, called the department shortly before 3 p.m. to report Bannister had been walking around the store with a large knife and hitting a coin machine with it, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed by Deputy Matt Scroggins of the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

Employees said Bannister hit the coin machine several times with a long knife and removed the front panel from the machine, breaking it, Scroggins wrote.

Two female employees reported they felt uncomfortable or nervous when they saw Bannister's knife, Scroggins wrote.

One of the employees said she "was 'a little scared of what was going on' and she 'did not know what could happen next," the deputy wrote.

A male Boomland employee heard the coin machine alarm sounding and saw Bannister insert the knife into a slot in the machine and break off the facing before reaching into the machine to gather some coins, Scroggins wrote.

When the employee told him to stop, "Bannister ... continued kicking and taking money out of the machine," causing about $1,000 in damage, Scroggins wrote.

The deputy reported Bannister had two loaded concealed handguns and two knives when he was arrested.

Bannister did not appear to be intoxicated at the time of his arrest, said Capt. Jerry Bledsoe of the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

"Sometimes people have this rage inside them that gets keyed when certain things happen," Bledsoe said. "I guess he's one of those people. ... Look at the bright side: At least it was not a human being he was doing this to."

Bannister was in jail Friday afternoon in lieu of $5,000 bond, Bledsoe said. An arrest warrant filed in the case stipulates if he bonds out, Bannister is to have no contact with Boomland and is not allowed to possess any weapons.

Bledsoe said Bannister was trying to make bond Friday afternoon.

"Hopefully he won't stop at Boomland when he gets out," he said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

6399 State Highway 77, Benton, MO