On January 30, 2026, at approximately 9:30 P.M., Brainerd officers were dispatched to an apartment on North 8th Street, Brainerd, Crow Wing County, Minnesota, for a report of a possible disturbance. Dispatch advised that the complainant, JL (fully identified in the police reports) reported hearing glass break in the apartment and a male subject yelling at a female. Dispatch then advised that JL did not know if the female who resides in the apartment, TH (fully identified in the police reports) was actually in the apartment or if she had left.
Dispatch provided additional information that JL did not believe the male subject was supposed to be at the apartment. Officers Kostreba and Larson arrived on scene and heard a male subject loudly yelling as well as loud crashing inside the apartment. Officer Kostreba knocked loudly on the front door several times and announced police presence. The male subject inside the apartment then began yelling profanities, racial slurs, and threats. Officer Kostreba heard the male subject yell something to the effect of "[y]ou want to get gangster f***** up?" Seconds later, the front door flew open and the male subject quickly exited the apartment while yelling and pushed the storm door forcefully outwards towards Officer Kostreba.
At this time, Officer Kostreba raised his handgun and aimed it at the male subject who was recognized by him as Nathaniel Donald Brimson [DOB REDACTED]. Officer Kostreba caught the storm door and observed Brimson face towards Officer Kostreba, posture himself in a fighting stance with clenched fists, and begin walking towards Officer Kostreba. Officer Kostreba raised his left hand and pushed Brimson backwards in the chest area while still aiming his handgun at Brimson with his right hand. Officer Kostreba then observed Officer Larson tackle Brimson to the ground.
Officers then apprehended Brimson who was non-compliant and yelling profanities at officers. After being handcuffed, Brimson again made threats towards officers by stating "I'm about to knock you the f*** out, b****." Brimson was then assisted to his feet by Officers Kostreba and Larson, and searched incident to arrest. While being searched, Brimson made several claims that he resided at the apartment and that "his girl" would be home soon. When asked who "his girl" was, Brimson stated the first name for TH. Brimson was escorted to a squad, refused to sit, and had to be escorted into the squad with officers pulling him inside to secure him.
Just before Officer Ostreba pulled Brimson into the squad, Officer Kostreba heard Brimson state "I will kill you" as Brimson was looking towards Officer Larson. After Brimson was secured in the squad, Officer Kostreba returned to the apartment and entered inside. Officer Kostreba observed the apartment to be in complete disarray with all the furniture filled over and scattered about. A window on the north side of the living room area was broken. Officer Kostreba observed the dining table had been flipped and one of the legs was lying on the ground.
