A masked gunman robbed several patrons of a bar near the University of Minnesota but missed out on the establishment's cash drawer, thanks to a fast-acting and fleet-footed bartender, authorities and witnesses said Tuesday.

The holdup of Sporty's Pub and Grill in the 2100 block of Como Avenue SE. occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. Monday.

The suspected gunman, a 36-year-old man from Columbia Heights, was arrested, along with a 22-year-old man from Minneapolis, police said.

Sporty's regular Jacob Crowley, who lives down the street, said he was at a table with friends when he saw the bartender scoot out the back with a petty cash drawer about the size of a lunchbox.

"He did what he did, and everything turned out fine," said Crowley, a 22-year-old student at a technical college studying to be a firefighter.

Sporty's Mark O'Meara said that the policy at his business is "under those circumstances … comply with anyone who is being an aggressor. No one's life is worth a couple hundred dollars."

Once the cash drawer was out of his reach, the suspect turned his attention to Crowley's table of six young adults in a back corner.

"We see this guy with a gun, and we all sat quietly," he said. "He points the gun at me and says, 'Give me everything.' He grabs my phone and proceeds to take everyone's wallets and cellphones."

Crowley said it never crossed his mind to balk at the gunman's demands or bet on his suspicions that the suspect's weapon was nothing more than a BB gun. "When you are out with friends, there are too many lives in danger."

Anyway, he added, the suspect "was definitely agitated. One of our guys was fumbling around with his credit card. He went to hand it over, dropped it in front of the guy and dropped it again."

The gunman's escape was hardly smooth, Crowley noted. "He tripped at the doorstep on the way out the front, scrambled and picked up [his take]."

Crowley said he only saw the gunman and not the other person arrested. Police have not explained the role of the second suspect.

The gunman was slightly injured during his apprehension at a home nearby and was treated at a hospital before being jailed, police said.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482