Dispute Over Parking Sparked Gun Incident at Rochester Bar
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A disagreement over the way a motorist had parked an SUV led to an incident involving a gun late last night in the parking lot at the North Star Bar in Rochester. Police Captain John Sherwin says it began around 11 pm when a 50-year-old employee of the bar criticized the driver of the SUV, who drove away after the two men exchanged some words.
The same employee, who was apparently off-duty, was behind the bar about a half hour later smoking a cigarette when the same SUV pulled into the parking lot and the two men engaged in a verbal confrontation that escalated into a physical altercation at the driver’s door of the vehicle. Captain Sherwin says an all-out fight broke out when the motorist reached for a gun and the 50-year-old man was struck on the head by the weapon.
Sherwin says the two men were struggling inside the SUV when it suddenly sped forward and smashed into a parked car, causing the two men and the gun to spill out onto the pavement. Witnesses reported the fight continued until the 50-year-old was able to pin the other man, who then indicated he was done fighting and sped away without his gun after the other man released him.
A description of the SUV led police to a residence in the 2300 block of Valleyhigh Drive Northwest, where police arrested 37-year-old Joseph Hollins on a long list of charges stemming from the incident at the bar. Captain Sherwin says the charges include felony assault, terroristic threats, and illegal possession of a firearm.