On December 1, 2025, at approximately 2:30 A.M., officers of the Minneapolis Police Department responded to reports of a disturbance and possible damage to property in progress at an apartment building located at [ADDRESS REDACTED], City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Upon arrival, officers contacted building security who indicated that a person identified as MATTHEW VLADIMIR RATHJE [DOB REDACTED], DEFENDANT herein, was not a resident of the building and was causing a disturbance. According to security personnel, DEFENDANT and a second visitor, WITNESS [NAME REDACTED] were yelling in the lobby and attempting to enter other residents’ apartments without permission.
Security removed WITNESS [NAME REDACTED], however, DEFENDANT remained on the upper floor of the building. While waiting for officers, a loud pop was heard from the stairwell and water began to flow down the stairs. While officers were present, water was observed to be leaking from under the door of a common stairwell into the lobby. Contemporaneous to observing the water, the building’s fire alarm activated. The Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD) responded. MFD personnel were able to silence the alarm but told officers that DEFENDANT was observed in the stairwell tampering with the building’s fire detection system and was seen turning the knob to the water supply.
Officers observed DEFENDANT to be standing in the stairway near the fire suppression system and directed DEFENDANT to leave the building as he was not a resident. While walking past officers, DEFENDANT leaned into one of the officers, VICTIM [NAME REDACTED], and violently checked him with his shoulder, pinning VICTIM [NAME REDACTED] into the wall and causing demonstrable bodily harm observed by other officers. DEFENDANT is not presently in custody.
