A 33-year-old man from Crawfordsville, Indiana, has been charged with two counts of fifth-degree assault and one count of disorderly conduct after allegedly attacking a customer inside an Eden Prairie liquor store last fall.
The charges were filed July 17 in Hennepin County District Court, nearly nine months after the Oct. 18, 2024, incident at Eden Prairie Liquor Store 2, one of the city’s three municipally operated liquor stores at 8018 Den Road.
According to the criminal complaint, the man confronted a customer over a parking space, shouted profanities, and later swung a closed fist into the victim’s upper back inside the store. Police later noted a red mark on the victim’s shoulder blade.
The suspect had left the store before officers arrived. Investigators identified him through surveillance footage and records from a prior Eden Prairie traffic stop involving the same work truck.
In an Oct. 28, 2024, phone call, the man acknowledged being at the store that night and said he had used that same truck. He declined to answer further questions until speaking with a lawyer. Two days later, he told police he had been drinking on the night of the incident and was given a ride to the store by a coworker. He said he wasn’t sure if the victim had said anything to him before the altercation.
All charges are misdemeanors, each carrying a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
He is scheduled to appear for arraignment Aug. 20 at Hennepin County District Court’s Ridgedale Regional Service Center in Minnetonka.
Comments
We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.