A man was shot in the leg in a downtown Minneapolis parking lot as a fight broke out nearby, according to a criminal complaint. Officers responded around 2 a.m. Sept. 12 to the 300 block of First Avenue North.
Pierre Cortez Jenkins, 31, of Minneapolis, is charged in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon causing substantial bodily harm.
The victim told police he heard gunshots and realized he had been hit in the left calf, but did not see the shooter or know what led to the shooting. He could not walk on the injured leg and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, the complaint says.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the downtown Pizza Lucé that showed a fight near a parked black Chevrolet sedan. The complaint identifies Jenkins as one of two men standing behind the car.
Police said Jenkins reached toward his waistband with his arms extended downward in a position they considered consistent with holding a firearm. He then crouched behind the sedan and disappeared from view. He was last seen facing toward the victim, according to the complaint.
The second man appeared to hold a black pistol as he walked behind the car, but the complaint says he was not seen producing a firearm during the gunfire. Jenkins remained out of sight behind the sedan while people nearby ducked and ran.
Officers recovered discharged cartridge cases from the spot where Jenkins had crouched. Investigators also cited cellphone location data placing him at the scene. The complaint does not describe video showing Jenkins firing the gun.
After the shooting, Jenkins was seen picking up clothing and walking away. He returned minutes later, got into the passenger seat of a black sedan and left, according to the complaint.
