A Minneapolis man is accused of driving a gunman away from a shooting outside a northeast Minneapolis bar that left three people wounded, according to a criminal complaint.
Donovan Powell, 38, faces three felony charges in Hennepin County District Court: aiding and abetting second-degree riot with a dangerous weapon, aiding and abetting second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact.
According to the complaint, Minneapolis police responded to a shooting outside a bar on University Avenue Northeast on June 22. Officers found a man with a gunshot wound who was in critical condition, and two other people with gunshot wounds arrived at HCMC.
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Police reviewed surveillance video from a business across the street. The footage shows several people leaving the bar after closing and gathering on the sidewalk near a gray Chrysler 300. The complaint says Powell was there, and his vehicle, which is registered to him, was parked nearby.
A fight broke out on the sidewalk involving several people. An unidentified shooter approached the front passenger door of the Chrysler 300, then moved to the trunk area and fired shots at the victims as they ran across the street. The complaint states gunfire was exchanged between the groups.
The Chrysler 300 made a U-turn with the front passenger door open, leaving the unidentified shooter at the scene. The shooter fired more shots at the victims. During the shooting, Powell ran toward his vehicle and the headlights turned on. Powell took cover near the back passenger door while shots continued. He then moved out of camera view, and the vehicle’s headlights flashed as if being unlocked while the unidentified shooter ran toward the car.
Powell got into the driver’s seat and the unidentified shooter entered the front passenger seat. A tan SUV pulled up next to Powell’s vehicle, and seconds later Powell sped away from the scene with the unidentified shooter inside.
The complaint was filed Oct. 19, and bail was set at $200,000. The second-degree assault count carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, a fine of up to $14,000 or both, according to the complaint.
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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.
