Charges: Twin Cities chef threatened girlfriend with gun, choked her

A Twin Cities chef has been charged with threats of violence after allegedly strangling his girlfriend and threatening her with a gun.

If convicted, Justin Michael Anthony Sutherland, 39, faces five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.

According to a criminal complaint, St. Paul police officers responded to a call about a gunman in the 800 block of Front Avenue shortly after 8 p.m. Friday. The caller reported seeing a gunman enter a vacant building and a woman, who appeared to be in distress, standing outside with her hands raised.

A second person who called 911 said she was FaceTimeing her sister and her sister said her boyfriend was trying to kill her and had put his hands around her neck earlier.

Officers arriving at the scene arrested Sutherland outside the building.

One of Sutherland’s longtime friends said Sutherland and the woman had been dating for a year. They had moved into a neighboring apartment because Sutherland planned to turn the vacant building into a restaurant. The friend said Sutherland’s relationship with his girlfriend was rocky and there were problems when they argued, according to court documents.

The friend said Sutherland texted him saying he and his girlfriend had had an argument earlier that day. As the friend was on his way to help him, Sutherland allegedly called him and told him his girlfriend had gone to the “racist neighbor” about him and added something to the effect, “If I need my guns, I will.” The friend told Sutherland not to do anything with his guns.

The friend said that when he arrived at the apartment, Sutherland and the woman were yelling at each other and he had to physically separate them. Sutherland then went outside for a walk.

The friend said he saw a closed gun holster on Sutherland’s bed but denied seeing him with a gun, court documents say.

When police met with Sutherland’s girlfriend, she told them they had argued because he said they would no longer go to a music festival. She said he was angry at neighbors who were racist toward him and thought he had taken his anger out on her.

While she was on the phone with her sister, Sutherland began to choke her, took the phone and slammed it against the counter several times, court documents say.

The woman said she then went to the neighbors’ house to use their phone, and Sutherland stopped at the door and told her that if she tried to come back to the apartment, he would shoot her. When she returned, Sutherland struck her in the chest with the gun, according to court documents.

Sutherland’s friend arrived at the apartment and took the gun from Sutherland. Sutherland repeatedly told the woman he wished she were dead, according to court documents.

While executing a search warrant at the home, police found two firearms, one of which appeared to be bloodstained. The complaint states that Sutherland had blood on his hands when he was arrested.

In an interview with police, Sutherland’s girlfriend reported persistent verbal abuse and said Sutherland had broken her windshield two days earlier.

In jail, Sutherland asked what he was being charged with. When told he was being held for threats of violence, he lied and asked to see a lawyer, according to court documents.

The criminal complaint says police went to the same address earlier in the day. Sutherland’s girlfriend called 911 and said he had choked her and tried to kick her out of the apartment.

At the time, the woman refused to give her boyfriend’s name because she did not want to cause trouble for anyone.

Officers who responded to the scene spoke to the woman who said Sutherland pushed her, but she was fine and did not require police assistance. Sutherland also said there had been a verbal disagreement and everything was fine.