In other words he's ready, willing and able to become violent in order to get what he wants. Understand that violence is a physiological extreme and before someone is ready to commit it, he has to have moved into this mental or emotional state. If you don't recognize or see this build up, it will appear to suddenly have come out of nowhere. Even a habitually violent person will have to mentally prepare himself. It may happen very quickly, but it is not instantaneous.
Intent can be an emotional reaction to the circumstances or a preplanned decision.
Often a person who has decided to commit a physical assault is either looking for an excuse to attack or is trying to hide his intentions until he is in position. The individual comes to a situation with the agenda of taking it to violence in order to achieve his ends. Knowing this mental process is important because it serves as an early warning system. The person has to undergo certain physiological changes for the body to be ready to attack or defend. These changes are reflected in the person's body language.