At around 6:30 PM on April 10, 2026, officers were sent to [address omitted], St. Paul, Ramsey County on a gun-pointing incident. Officers spoke to CS ([DOB redacted]) who said there was a vacant property in the neighborhood where squatters caused problems. CS heard a commotion and went to investigate. He saw a group of individuals walking in the alley. A neighbor, MATTHEW JAMES MCDONALD ([DOB redacted]), argued with the group. CS approached to de-escalate the situation. McDonald said, “Here we go.
Here we go,” and walked back to his home. McDonald returned to the alley carrying a black, AR-style rifle with a banana clip. McDonald initially pointed the firearm in the air, but he eventually pointed it at the group including CS. One of the men in the group told McDonald to shoot if McDonald was going to shoot. CS called 911, and he asked McDonald why he would pull a gun on him since they were neighbors. CS said he had not had any previous problems with McDonald. Officers made contact with McDonald in his backyard and arrested him.
Officers executed a search warrant at McDonald’s residence. Officers recovered a SOS Lynx shotgun with a 20-round drum magazine from the kitchen floor. The shotgun matched the description of the gun CS said McDonald pointed at him and the others. McDonald was advised of his constitutional rights and agreed to speak to an investigator. McDonald said a neighbor had sent him a text informing him that people were again at the vacant house. McDonald went outside and confronted the individuals telling them to get the hell out of there.
The group started screaming at him and threatened to f*** his s*** up and burn his house down. McDonald went into his house, grabbed a shotgun, and told the group, “You’re going to meet this if you come into my house.” McDonald denied pointing the gun at anyone and said he just wanted to show them not to f*** with his house. McDonald said he didn’t realize one of the people in the group was his neighbor. The investigator later spoke to CS over the phone. CS said one the group McDonald confronted was walking by.
The other man spoke to the investigator, but he declined to provide his name. The man said, “That man was really drunk and was acting crazy. He was wrong for pointing a gun at us.
