Man who stabbed Twin Cities bar patron 17 times is sentenced, set to leave prison in 2 years

A 52-year-old man received a 4½-year term Friday for stabbing a Twin Cities bar patron 17 times on St. Patrick’s weekend.

Kendrick L. Dotstry, 52, of Brooklyn Park was sentenced by Hennepin County District Judge Carolina Lamas after Dotstry pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in connection with the stabbing of Nicholas Delbert Snider, 42, of Brooklyn Park on March 16, 2024, at SteveO’s in the 4900 block of W. Broadway in Crystal.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Dotstry is expected to serve the first 2¼ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.

The plea deal included dismissal of an attempted second-degree murder count.

According to the complaint:

A police officer on patrol was flagged down by a bar employee and told someone had been stabbed at SteveO’s. The employee pointed to Dotstry as the perpetrator. While detained, Dotstry said he was the victim and had been punched in the face.

Police saw Snider on a barstool and bleeding from several stab wounds. He survived the attack.

Both men stood. Snider walked toward Dotstry, who started swinging in a stabbing motion. Snider tried to put Dotstry in a headlock, but the stabbing continued “even as [Snider] had fallen to his knees and slumped to the ground,” the complaint noted.

Medical personnel counted nine stab wounds to Snider’s lower back among the 17 total.

Dotstry denied to police that he stabbed Snider. A knife was recovered near where Dotstry was arrested.