On April 27, 2026, at approximately 4:22 P.M., police responded to [ADDRESS REDACTED], St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, on a report of a domestic assault. The dispatch comments indicated that the complainant texted 911 to report that her dad choked her brother and sister and tackled her brother on the couch. Upon arrival, police separated the parties. The complainant, SLL (YOB: 2011), reported that she was at school when she received a text from her brother that their father, identified as DENNIS JOSEPH LYNCH, JR. – [DOB REDACTED], tackled him onto the couch and choked him.
SLL texted 911 to have police check on her brother and sister. SLL also texted her sister, AML, about the incident. AML drove to the residence from her home in Oakdale so she could pick up her siblings and keep them safe. RJL (YOB: 2012) told police that he did not go to school that day and was in the living room when LYNCH came into the room. RJL reported that LYNCH was upset that RJL did not go to school and grabbed the video game controller out of RJL’s hand. RJL said he stood up and tried to pull the controller away from LYNCH. RJL reported that LYNCH tackled him onto the couch and knelt over the top of RJL and used both of his arms to put RJL in a headlock.
RJL demonstrated that LYNCH put one arm under the back of his neck and the forearm of his other arm overtop the front side of RJL’s neck then squeezed his arms tightly. RJL described feeling like he was choking and unable to breathe. RJL reported that he felt panicked and afraid. RJL estimated that LYNCH had him in a headlock for approximately 20 seconds and said that his neck felt a little sore and raspy. Police observed a red mark on RJL’s neck. After LYNCH released him from the headlock, RJL said LYNCH grabbed his headphones and threw them at the ground, but they struck RJL’s younger sister, IEL, on the hand.
IEL (YOB: 2014) told police that she was in the living room when she saw LYNCH take the video game controller away from RJL then tackle RJL back onto the couch. IEL said LYNCH was on top of RJL preventing him from getting up or pushing LYNCH off him. IEL reported that LYNCH wrapped his arms around RJL’s neck in a way that made it look like RJL was struggling to breathe. IEL said she got off the couch and tried to get LYNCH off RJL. After approximately 20 seconds, IEL stated that LYNCH released RJL then reached over, grabbed his headphones, and tried to throw them on the ground, but they scratched the top of IEL’s hand.
Police observed scratches on IEL’s hand. LYNCH was reluctant to answer questions from police. LYNCH denied that he hit or choked his children. LYNCH reported that he and RJL got into an altercation when he took away RJL’s video game controller. LYNCH said he took the controller away because RJL did not go to school that day and was talking back to LYNCH. LYNCH stated that they got into a “tussle” and wrestled on the couch. While they were wrestling, LYNCH reported that RJL hit him a few times on the head but was unable to specify where or how he was hit in the head.
