A Blaine man spit on a woman, kicked her in the stomach and flashed a handgun during a dispute over a parking space behind a Brooklyn Park strip mall, according to charges.

Amr Mohmed Abdelmguid Tayel, 27, faces charges of threats of violence and fifth-degree assault.

According to the criminal complaint, Brooklyn Park police responded to a strip mall on September 9 after a report that a man had hit a woman and had a gun. Officers found the victim sitting on the ground behind the strip mall, holding her stomach. An uninvolved bystander who spoke both English and Vietnamese helped translate for the victim, who spoke little to no English.

READ MORE → Hennepin County coverage

The victim told officers she worked at the nail salon in the strip mall, while Tayel worked at the smoke shop in the same complex. She reported that she and Tayel had an ongoing argument about a parking space. On the day of the offense, the victim said she was parked in the disputed spot when Tayel began a verbal argument, insisting he needed the space that day.

The complaint states Tayel backed his truck in front of the victim’s vehicle to block her from leaving. He then lifted his shirt to reveal a yellowish-brown short-barreled firearm tucked into his waistband, spit on the victim and kicked her in the stomach before returning to the smoke shop.

Officers searched the smoke shop and found a handgun matching the description the victim provided. The victim was transported to North Memorial Hospital in Maple Grove for treatment of her injuries.

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 misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.

Related MN CRIME Coverage

2 Drivers Argued, 1 Charged After Hammer Threat in Minneapolis • Minneapolis Man Charged After Stabbing Near U of M Campus • Felon Opened Fire on Masked Jeep Crew in Minneapolis Alley

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.