Victim in nightclub shooting had been banished from downtown
Tyrone Washington, the 27-year-old homicide victim gunned down at Epic nightclub early Sunday, had been ordered by a Hennepin County judge to stay out of downtown after his guilty plea two weeks ago to a charge of terroristic threats for the benefit of a gang.
The order, known as a "geographical restriction," has been in use for several years, mostly to put a dent in drug dealing, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.
"If we had found him downtown, we would have put him back in jail. … The irony is that if he had been in custody, he wouldn't have been killed," Freeman said.
Washington, a high-ranking member of the 1-9 Block Dipset gang, was convicted of threatening to kill police officers after he was sprayed with chemical irritant on March 4 outside of a nightclub by officers who were attempting to clear a crowd off the sidewalks, according to a criminal complaint.
"Y'all don't know about me!" he told people waiting in line at Pizza Luce while pointing to two police officers, according to the complaint. "I'm more powerful than the cops! I run this city!"
Matt McKinney
Former deputy convicted of stealing drugs while on duty
A former Washington County sheriff's deputy was convicted Monday of pilfering drugs from a locked pharmaceutical drop box in the county government building in Stillwater.
A jury found Ricky Harry Gruber, 43, of Oakdale, guilty of misconduct by a public employee and illegal possession of prescription drugs.
Gruber, while employed as a deputy, was observed by hidden surveillance on Feb. 6 removing the secure drug bin from the pharmaceutical drop-off box at the Sheriff's Office. The drug drop-off is a public service that allows the public to bring used or unwanted medications and drugs for proper disposal.
Gruber admitted to having stolen the key to the secure area and having made a copy for his personal use. He admitted that he took prescription drugs from the bin and placed them in a red bag in his office.
Sheriff Bill Hutton said his department took steps to prevent any further internal theft. Only a few designated deputies have contact with the drugs, he said, which they handle as chain-of-custody evidence and take to disposal plants.
Kevin Giles
Mistaken identity suspected in blast of gunfire that killed 2
A Farmington man was charged Tuesday with spraying a car with gunfire in a south Minneapolis alley in August, killing two men and wounding two women in what police believe may have been a case of mistaken identity.
Dijon C. Sanders, 22, was charged with second-degree intentional murder in the deaths of De'Von L. Burt, 18, and Keondray Q. Wilson, 20, both of Minneapolis. Sanders also faces two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Sanders, who turned himself in over the weekend, remains jailed in lieu of $5 million bail pending a court appearance Wednesday. His criminal history in Minnesota includes convictions for robbery, drug possession, burglary, assault and disorderly conduct.
According to the criminal complaint:
Witnesses saw two men running through the alley in the 2600 block of 18th Avenue S. about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 25. Later, a witness told police that the suspects may have been Fat Man Scoop, an alias for Sanders, and a man known as Nutty.
The witness also told police the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity. Sanders and the other man intended to shoot someone else, who looks like Wilson.
Burt was behind the wheel, and Wilson was in the seat behind him. According to the surviving passengers, the four had gone out to eat, shopped in Uptown and had pulled into the alley. They were in the car when the two men approached and fired 33 shots.
The person known as Nutty has yet to be jailed or charged in the case, and authorities declined to reveal his name.
Paul Walsh
Hunting guide hit with mountain of charges for deer, bear kills
A bear-hunting guide in northern Minnesota has been charged with using illegal tactics to kill bear and deer, according to authorities.
Keith R. Slick, 32, of Baudette, was charged Friday in Lake of the Woods District Court with a variety of offenses, including exceeding the hunting limit for bear, unlawful possession of deer, two charges of unlawfully transporting a bear, illegal possession of a car-killed deer, and failure to register bear bait stations, hunting within 100 yards of an unregistered bear bait station and placing bait for bear without a license.
There were other violations, according to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), but the statute of limitations had expired.
Slick could not be reached for comment.
According to the DNR: During the fall bear-hunting season, state conservation officer Robert Gorecki located an active bear bait station belonging to Slick. A search of his home uncovered numerous bear capes and skulls, as well as sets of deer antlers.
A check of DNR records indicated that Slick has not registered an adult male deer or bear in the past 10 years — as far back as records go.
A cellphone seized during the investigation contained pictures of Slick with a dead bear and text messages with Slick telling people about the bear he had shot. Other text messages from Slick stated that he had shot seven bears in his life.
Slick faces nearly $4,500 in fines and restitution.
If convicted, his hunting privileges could be revoked for three years.
Paul Walsh