A Baker City man accused of hitting a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in the forehead with the stock of a BB gun on Dec. 14 in Baker City is not mentally competent to defend himself, a federal judge has decided.

Randy Warren Kahn, 48, is charged with assault on a federal employee using a dangerous weapon.

According to a Feb. 18 federal court record, Kahn, who pleaded not guilty on Dec. 26, is “not competent to proceed.”

“The parties anticipate that it will be at least four months before we receive an update on Mr. Kahn’s status,” according to a status report filed by Jeffrey S. Sweet, an assistant United States attorney who is prosecuting Kahn, and Megha Desai, the federal public defender representing Kahn.

Kahn remains in custody, as a federal magistrate judge ordered in late December. Court records don’t say where Kahn is being held.

Kahn was initially charged with first-degree assault, a Class A felony, in Baker County District Court, but the case was moved to federal court.

The incident

Kahn is accused of attacking letter carrier Junya Uemura while Uemura was delivering three packages to Kahn.

Sgt. Wayne Chastain of the Baker City Police Department said Kahn confronted Uemura in Kahn’s front yard.

Kahn then allegedly hit Uemura with the stock of a BB gun. Uemura was taken by ambulance to the hospital, Chastain said.

According to a probable cause affidavit written by Baker City Police officer Mark Powell, Uemura suffered a cut on his forehead that required seven stiches, as well as a broken nose and fractured veterbra in his neck.

Chastain said it’s not clear what led to the incident.

Baxter said Baker City Police have had multiple contacts with Kahn this year due to potential “mental health” issues.

According to Powell’s affidavit, Kahn “has been the subject of nine mental health calls in the year of 2024.”

According to Powell’s affidavit, a neighbor told him he saw Kahn fire a shot from the BB gun, and then watched the Uemura deliver three packages and ask Kahn why he had fired the gun.

The witness said “the mailman backed away from Randy with his hands in the air and he made a statement to Randy saying something like he was not trying to get in the middle of anything.”

The witness said he saw Kahn swing the gun in the manner of a baseball bat and hit Uemura once in the head with the gun’s stock.

Powell wrote that another neighbor, who didn’t see Kahn hit Uemura, did see Kahn grab Uemura’s arm, pull Uemura into a sitting position, kick Uemura and tell him to “get up.”