A homeless man has been freed from jail without charges after being arrested on suspicion of murder in the cardiac-arrest death of a 45-year-old Minneapolis man after a fight outside an E. Lake Street restaurant.

"There was insufficient evidence" to charge the 29-year-old man in the March 4 death of Jimmie Ray G. Herron Jr., said Chuck Laszewski, spokesman for the Hennepin County attorney's office. "Specifically, [there were] conflicting statements on what happened" that prevented prosecutors from being confident that they would "be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt."

The Minneapolis suspect was arrested April 23 in St. Paul and held in the Hennepin County jail on suspicion of murder until his release two days later.

Herron died at Hennepin County Medical Center, a few hours after getting in a fight outside Denny's in the 2700 block of E. Lake Street. The assault on Herron was a complicating factor leading to the cardiac arrest, the medical examiner's office said. Herron had a history of heart disease, the office added.

In the moments after the fight, his mother added, Herron called a relative about the incident and said he had gotten into a fight with two people.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482