A Minneapolis man ran from police and struggled with an officer who tackled him to prevent access to a loaded gun during a drug investigation on 30th Avenue North.
Demonte Delandre Mason faces three charges: possessing a firearm after a conviction for a crime of violence, 4th-degree assault of a peace officer causing bodily harm and fleeing police on foot.
According to the complaint, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department began monitoring surveillance cameras in the area of 30th Avenue between Oliver and Penn Avenue North after receiving information about suspected drug activity. On July 22, officers observed a group of people making suspected drug transactions and acting as lookouts. When officers moved in and gave commands to stop, several people ran.
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One officer chased Mason, who fell during the pursuit. The officer saw a gun by his waist as he got up and appeared to reach for it. The officer tackled him to the ground to prevent him from accessing the firearm. While on the ground, Mason physically struggled with the officer, biting the officer’s pinky finger and causing a cut. The firearm was loaded with a round in the chamber.
Other officers pursued and apprehended two additional men from the group. One was found with cocaine and cash, and another had bullets in his pocket, cocaine and a loaded revolver.
The complaint notes that Mason has a felony juvenile adjudication for threats of violence from 2014, a conviction for prohibited person in possession of a firearm from 2018, a pending misdemeanor DWI charge and is on probation for 5th-degree assault.
The charge of possessing a firearm after a conviction for a crime of violence alleges that Mason was prohibited from having a gun due to his prior convictions. The 4th-degree assault charge stems from the injury to the officer’s finger during the struggle. The fleeing charge alleges he ran from police on foot after being ordered to stop.
The charges were filed Wednesday, July 22, in Hennepin County District Court. A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). First-degree assault, alleging great bodily harm, carries up to 20 years in prison. The lower degrees range from gross-misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
