Minnetrista man charged after shots fired; his excuses are many

Minnetrista man is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, a felony.

By VINCE TUSS, Star Tribune

Last update: September 19, 2009 - 8:42 AM

His chicken coop was under attack and he needed to protect his girls.

That's what a 37-year-old man said before Minnetrista police came to his home early Thursday on a call of multiple shots fired, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers had to retreat twice and call in the emergency response unit before they got into the home on Kingswood Road, the complaint said.

Jeremy Scott Eggersgluss was charged Friday with reckless discharge of a firearm, a felony, in Hennepin County District Court. He posted bail, set at $20,000, and is to appear in court Monday afternoon.

After arresting Eggersgluss and getting a search warrant, police found two shotguns, a handgun in a cabinet hidden behind plates and a rifle with a silencer attached to the barrel, the complaint said. On the deck, 20 fired shotgun shells were collected and one live shell was found. In front of the house, one fired 9-mm cartridge casing was found.

Neighbors told police that they feared for their safety and that shots began after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and continued for at least a half-hour.

A woman in the house when the shots were heard told police that Eggersgluss had come in worried about the chicken coop and fired at raccoons about 10 times, according to the complaint.

In an interview with police, Eggersgluss said he fired one of the shotguns 15 times or so. He first said that he was trying to train his dog, then that he was shooting at coyotes and finally that he was targeting a blue jay.

He also said he had wine, the complaint said, and police administered a breath test for alcohol, finding a concentration of 0.17 percent.

Vince Tuss • 612-673-7692

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