Suspect Charged for Pointing Gun at Resident During Roseville Standoff
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A 50-year-old man is charged after investigators say he threatened to kill a man inside a Roseville apartment while pointing a modified firearm at him.
The incident happened around 7 p.m. March 4 at an apartment on the 3100 block of Old Highway 8 North in Roseville.
Prosecutors charged Wendell Terrell Brown, of Maplewood, with possession of a firearm by a person prohibited due to a prior crime of violence and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
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According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to the apartment after a man reported being threatened by Brown, who had been staying there for about four days. The resident told police Brown had an AR-style firearm with the stock and barrel sawed off. The weapon had been painted yellow, gold and green in an attempt to make it appear like a toy.
The man told officers Brown repeatedly pointed the gun at him and threatened to kill him, at one point telling him he knew where his family lived. The resident said he feared Brown was going to kill him and considered jumping from his fourth-floor apartment to escape.
Instead, the man told Brown he was going to a gas station to buy drinks for both of them and used that opportunity to leave the apartment and call for help.
When officers arrived, they went to the apartment and ordered Brown to come out. Brown briefly stuck his head out the door before retreating back inside.
A SWAT team and negotiators were called to the scene. After negotiations, Brown eventually exited the apartment and was taken into custody.
Investigators later obtained a search warrant for the apartment and recovered a .22-caliber AR-platform firearm hidden inside a bathroom cabinet beneath the sink. The weapon had been painted to resemble a toy and the serial number was unreadable, according to court records.
Brown later spoke with officers after being advised of his rights. He told investigators he and the resident had argued about music they were creating together. Brown denied knowing about a firearm inside the apartment and denied pointing a weapon at the man.
Court records show Brown has several prior felony convictions, including threats of violence, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a pistol by a felon, drug-related offenses and a federal gun conviction. Those convictions make him legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
If convicted, Brown faces up to 15 years in prison on the prohibited person in possession charge and up to seven years on the assault charge.
Brown made an initial court appearance where bail was set at $150,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 26.
Prosecutors charged Wendell Terrell Brown, of Maplewood, with possession of a firearm by a person prohibited due to a prior crime of violence and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.