On May 24, 2026, officers were dispatched to a fight occurring inside a store located in Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County, Minnesota. An officer was working contract overtime at the store and immediately responded. When he entered the store, he saw two males standing facing each other. One of the males, later identified as DERRICK DEVONNE TROTTER [DOB REDACTED], had a knife in his hand. The officer told TROTTER to drop the knife, which he did. The knife was later collected as evidence. Initially, TROTTER was not following the officer's commands to stay on scene.
TROTTER made comments that he was trying to get his money, which he alleged was money on the floor nearby. The officer initially detained TROTTER by handcuffing him, but later removed the handcuffs once TROTTER was complaint and more officers were on scene. When additional officers arrived on scene, they learned that the second male (identified herein as "Victim") who had been facing TROTTER had been stabbed in the abdomen, to the point where his intestines were visible. Victim's condition was deteriorating quickly on scene, and he was transported to the hospital for treatment.
After removing the handcuffs from TROTTER, an officer spoke to him to try and determine what happened. TROTTER stated that he had come to the store and saw his adult daughter. He started talking to his daughter, but Victim did not like that and they got into an argument. TROTTER claimed that Victim [NAME REDACTED] in his face and being very aggressive. Because TROTTER thought Victim was going to hit him, TROTTER removed his mace from his pocket. TROTTER then deployed his mace because he stated that Victim got into a fighting stance and TROTTER thought Victim was going to hit him.
After macing Victim, [NAME REDACTED] into a physical altercation. TROTTER did not recall exactly when, but at some point he got out his knife to defend himself. He did not know if he stabbed Victim or what happened after that. TROTTER also stated that Victim had a knife, but he wasn't able to provide a good description of the knife other than saying it was the same size as TROTTER's knife. TROTTER stated he had only met Victim [NAME REDACTED]. Officers located mace on TROTTER's person and removed it.
TROTTER was eventually arrested and remains in custody. Officers reviewed surveillance video of the interaction between TROTTER and Victim. The video showed Victim with a female (identified herein as "Witness") in the self-checkout area. TROTTER and Victim got into a verbal altercation, however, Victim was not making any type of physical advances toward TROTTER and there was a shopping cart between them. TROTTER then removed the mace from his pocket and spontaneously sprayed Victim in the face approximately three times with it.
