On December 14, multiple Officers went to the Holiday gas station located at [address omitted]., in the city of Coon Rapids, Anoka County, Minnesota, to investigate an argument between two men. While en route to the gas station officers learned that one of the males, later fully identified as Nathan Lashaun Howard Jr. ([DOB redacted]), hereinafter the Defendant, shoved the other male to the ground and fled the area. When Officers arrived, they spoke with T. N. ([DOB redacted]), who reported that he responded to a Facebook marketplace advertisement to purchase a new iPhone 17 ProMax for $850. When he arrived, T. N. Gave the Defendant $850 in cash.
Because the phone was cold and would not turn on the two men entered the Holiday gas station to power it on. While doing so, T. N. Noticed that the screen did not fill the length of the phone and appeared to be counterfeit. He asked for his money back, but the defendant refused and fled the store. T. N. Chased after him and grabbed him by the hood of his sweatshirt. When he did the Defendant turned and threatened him saying, “I have a gun, I’ll shoot you.” While the Defendant was turned T. N. Saw the handle of a black firearm inside the Defendant’s front pocket of his sweatshirt.
He released the Defendant and backed away. Meanwhile, police located the Defendant a short distance away. As Officers Backman and Weinberg arrived on scene, they found the Defendant walking eastbound on 124th Avenue and asked him to stop. Other Officers relayed the information provided by T. N., so they conducted a pat search for safety and found a BB gun in the front pocket of his sweatshirt.
