Verbal sparring escalates, leaving one dead

Outrage over a minor car accident topped with alcohol led to the shooting death of a 32-year-old Farmington man.

By CHAO XIONG, Star Tribune

Last update: March 18, 2008 - 8:57 PM

A volatile mix of happenstance, alcohol and road rage after a night of bar hopping led to Monday's shooting death of Darby K. Claar near downtown Minneapolis, police said.

The 32-year-old Farmington resident was riding in a pickup truck with friends when their vehicle collided with a car carrying three people. The accident was minor, but exchanges escalated between the passengers until Claar and one man from the other car stepped to the side.

They continued their verbal sparring, and that's when authorities believe a 22-year-old Minneapolis man fatally shot Claar in the chest.

"This appears to be an incident that was driven by alcohol," said Lt. Amelia Huffman, the head of homicide. "Through a twist of fate, two people being brought together in a murder is very rare."

Toxicology reports on Claar and the suspect will take a few weeks, she said. Both groups had been to a few bars Sunday night, police said.

Authorities found Claar, his friends and some occupants of the other car about 2:30 a.m. at Washington and Chicago Avenue S., near the Metrodome.

The suspect had fled on foot, but was later arrested. Charges are expected later this week. It was the seventh homicide this year in Minneapolis, compared with 14 at the same time last year.

Huffman said it appears that the two groups did not know each other before the accident.

Friends and former neighbors said Claar was a friendly man who within the past year had started his own company, Ahh American Oil, to convert diesel trucks to run on biofuel. He formerly ran his own auto body shop, specializing in high-end restoration in detailing and engine work.

"He was incredibly smart," said Jim Tacklo, who befriended Claar when he lived in Savage. "There wasn't anything he didn't know about cars."

His Savage neighbors said he often had neighbors over to play pool or cards. He moved to Farmington a year ago.

Gloria Heideman, who lives across from Claar's Farmington home, said he was a "very nice young gentleman."

"He had a really outgoing personality," Tacklo said. "He could walk into a crowd of strangers and be friends with everybody in a matter of minutes."

Chao Xiong • 612-673-4391

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