Eden Prairie Hockey Stick Attack Ends in Felony Charge
BY MN CRIME STAFF
An Eden Prairie man is facing charges after police say he damaged a vehicle with a hockey stick and fought officers during his arrest outside a grocery store.
According to a criminal complaint, 43-year-old Darryl Keith Smoleroff, is charged with first-degree damage to property and obstructing legal process after an incident on Jan. 11 in the parking lot of a Lunds and Byerly’s in Eden Prairie.
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Police were called to the store after reports that a person was striking multiple vehicles with a hockey stick.
When officers arrived, they spoke with the owner of one of the damaged vehicles who said Smoleroff approached him while he was sitting in his car and struck the vehicle with the stick. The victim later provided an estimate showing $3,497 in damage to repair the car.
Officers located Smoleroff a short distance away still in possession of the hockey stick. The complaint states that when officers attempted to speak with him, he refused to cooperate and would not answer questions. Smoleroff told officers they were “terrorists” and claimed they had kidnapped him from his home.
Police then informed Smoleroff that he was not free to leave and took hold of his left arm. Prosecutors say he pushed officers away, ran into the roadway and turned to face them while holding the hockey stick in an aggressive manner. Officers ordered him to drop the stick and told him he was under arrest. Smoleroff responded, “no I’m not,” and continued to hold onto the stick.
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Officers deployed a Taser to take Smoleroff into custody. Even after the device was used, the complaint says he continued to physically resist officers while on the ground before he was eventually restrained and arrested.
Smoleroff remains in custody in Hennepin County. Jail records show he was booked late the morning of Jan. 11 and is being held on $5,000 bail or bond with conditions. His next court appearance is set for Wednesday afternoon in downtown Minneapolis.
The felony damage to property charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The obstructing legal process charge is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Court records show Smoleroff also has a separate pending Eden Prairie case tied to an incident on Dec. 16, 2024, at a townhome on Bagpipe Boulevard. In that case, officers were dispatched after reports of suspicious activity and a person banging on the exterior of a residence before someone was seen looking through a bedroom window.
Police say a woman ran from the home, screaming that a man was inside and hiding in a closet. Multiple Eden Prairie officers responded and ordered the man, later identified as Smoleroff, to come out. He complied and was detained. During a pat-down, officers located the butter knife in his pocket, the court documents say.
Investigators learned Smoleroff lived next door in a physically connected neighboring unit. A search of the residences revealed a large hole in a wall separating the two homes that officers said was large enough for a person to crawl through.
According to statements documented in the complaint, family members inside the home said they saw someone open a second-floor bedroom window and look inside, despite the bedroom being elevated. After hearing banging noises, they later discovered damage inside the home and encountered Smoleroff in the hallway, where he appeared agitated and asked for help locating a person he believed was inside the house.
Officers later conducted a welfare check of Smoleroff’s home and reported extensive interior damage. Police documented multiple holes in walls throughout the residence, a bedroom ceiling that appeared to have been broken through from the attic, scattered insulation and drywall debris, broken dishes and glasses in the kitchen, and vomit on the floor.
Smoleroff declined to speak with police after being advised of his rights in that case. Jail and court records show he remains charged in connection with the burglary incident, which is scheduled for court later this month.
