Man's heart death is now a homicide case, Mpls. cops say

A 45-year-old man who got in a fight outside a Lake Street restaurant and died from cardiac arrest is now considered the victim of a homicide, and police said Thursday that they are looking for a suspect.

Jimmie Ray G. Herron Jr. of Minneapolis died March 4 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's mother, Assata Damani, said Thursday that her son was a "very quiet person … who wasn't one to start conflicts, but he wasn't one to back away, either."

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

Police have made mention of only one possible suspect, described by Sgt. William Palmer as a man in his 20s.

According to police:

Emergency medical personnel took Herron to HCMC, where he died less than two hours later. Herron had a history of heart disease, the medical examiner's office said.

A restaurant manager said she does not believe the incident was connected to her business.

Anyone with information regarding the fight is asked to call police at 612-692-TIPS.

Herron was born in South Bend, Ind., and excelled at chess starting at age 4, according to Herron's death notice, posted online by the Clark-O'Neal Funeral Home of South Bend.

He graduated from St. Mary's University in Minneapolis with a master's degree in computer and information technology, the notice continued, and was getting started on a doctorate at the time of his death.