Gunfire During Struggle, Man Charged in Downtown Mankato

A man struck another person with a handgun in front of a crowded downtown Mankato bar and fired the weapon during a struggle with officers after a foot chase, according to the complaint.

Justice Arness Tryon faces two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, obstructing legal process, reckless discharge of a firearm within a municipality, fifth-degree drug possession and fleeing a peace officer on foot, according to charges filed October 12 in Blue Earth County District Court.

According to the complaint, at about 12:26 a.m. on October 11, a sergeant with the Mankato Department of Public Safety was patrolling the downtown entertainment district, which was busy after a concert and collegiate hockey game. The sergeant saw a disturbance in front of a bar and was alerted by an unidentified person that a male had a gun.

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The sergeant approached and saw Justice Arness Tryon holding a black handgun in his right hand while involved in a disturbance with the victim. The sergeant saw Tryon strike the victim with the firearm. The sergeant identified herself as police and ordered Tryon to drop the gun, but Tryon fled on foot with the firearm still in his hand.

Officers pursued Tryon for several blocks, repeatedly commanding him to stop and telling him he was under arrest. Tryon continued to flee until he was tackled by an officer in a park zone. Tryon still had the firearm in his hand and actively resisted as officers tried to arrest him. During the struggle, a detective applied downward pressure on the firearm to prevent Tryon from using it on officers. While on the ground, Tryon discharged the firearm, but no one was struck.

A detective was eventually able to take possession of the firearm, and the sergeant deployed a Taser before Tryon was arrested. Officers found a fanny pack on Tryon containing seven blue bars and 68 white pills, both suspected to be alprazolam.

Tryon was taken to a hospital and cleared before being transported to jail. The complaint says Tryon told the jail nurse he was a habitual benzodiazepine user, and the nurse said he needed to go to a detoxification facility. At the jail, Tryon made unprompted statements that he was given the firearm before going downtown and said he was unable to throw the firearm when tackled by officers.

According to the complaint, Tryon is prohibited for life from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a 2019 first-degree burglary conviction.