A Ray man threatened a Richfield police sergeant after a traffic stop, then sent the sergeant a late-night text containing the sergeant’s home address, according to charges.
Christian Thomas Barton, 27, faces a felony charge of threats of violence.
According to the complaint, just before 10 p.m. on September 21, 2026, a Richfield police officer on patrol near 78th Street West and Pillsbury Avenue South noticed a suspicious vehicle parked in a traffic lane near Public Storage. The officer found the car suspicious because the business was closed and there had been recently reported break-ins.
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The officer ran the vehicle’s registration and found it was registered to Barton. When the officer approached, Barton became confrontational and used profanity. After issuing Barton a citation for an inoperable headlight, the officer told him he was free to go, but Barton did not leave.
The officer continued to monitor Barton from the parking lot. Barton eventually approached the officer and kept yelling at him. Meanwhile, a Richfield police sergeant was dispatched to the scene after a 911 call requesting a supervisor. The sergeant saw Barton in the driver’s seat, appearing highly agitated and upset that the original officer had not left.
Barton began yelling at the sergeant and made several threatening statements, including, “It won’t be me, but somebody’s gonna do it, and you are not f****** prepared,” and, “It’s not gonna be funny when somebody puts a round in you.” Barton also said, “I’m going to be looking for your name in the obituary. I’m going to send your wife letters, your wife and kids, I’ll send them letters expressing my condolences,” while laughing and using air quotes.
A few minutes later, the sergeant left the scene and returned to his office. The complaint states the sergeant was not overly concerned at first, as he had been threatened before while on duty. However, at about 12:11 a.m. on September 22, the sergeant received a call on his personal cell phone.
The caller asked for him by name, and when the sergeant confirmed who he was, the caller, whose voice the sergeant recognized as Barton’s, said, “That’s all I need to know,” and hung up.
Two minutes later, the sergeant received a text from the same number containing only his home address. The sergeant became very afraid for his safety and the safety of the others in his home, who were asleep. He called his local police department, and officers responded to his home to stand by in case Barton showed up.
At 12:55 a.m., Barton texted the sergeant again, commenting on the appearance of a woman who is not related to the sergeant. The complaint says the sergeant suspected Barton was trying to locate people close to him. An officer-safety alert was issued, and at about 1:32 a.m., Saint Paul police officers arrested Barton at his business address in Saint Paul.
The charge alleges Barton threatened to commit a crime of violence in reckless disregard of the risk of causing terror.
The charge was filed Wednesday, September 23, in Hennepin County District Court.
About This Charge
Threats of violence under § 609.713 means threatening to commit a crime of violence with the purpose of terrorizing another or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing terror. The complaint lists a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.
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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 44 other cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
