Star Tribune
St. Paul celebrity chef Justin Sutherland addresses charges he assaulted girlfriend
St. Paul chef Justin Sutherland has released a statement declaring he is innocent of charges that he assaulted and threatened to kill his girlfriend, as a local publication scrapped its five-year partnership with him co-hosting a barbecue festival.
Sutherland, well-known for appearances on “Top Chef” and other cooking shows, was arrested on June 28. His statement followed Mpls. St. Paul Magazine announcing this week that it is severing a partnership it had since 2018 with the chef for its annual “Smoke Out” fall festival. The magazine said it will continue the festival this fall outside Allianz Field in St. Paul under a new name, Northern Char.
The magazine received a statement from Sutherland that said in part:
“Over the weekend I found myself in a situation where I was taken into custody and accused of a crime. I deeply regret putting myself in that position and the pain and distress caused to those around me. I sincerely apologize to my family, friends, and fans. I am innocent of these charges and look forward to using the judicial system to prove my innocence. Notwithstanding, this incident has made me realize the urgent need to seek professional help and make significant changes in my life.
Sutherland, 39, was charged Monday in Ramsey County District Court with felony threats of violence in connection with the incident shortly after 8 p.m. on June 28 Friday in the 800 block of Front Avenue. Police responded to a call about a man with a gun.
A woman told police that Sutherland pointed a gun and vowed to shoot her, choked her and struck her in the chest with the weapon, the criminal complaint read. Officers arrested Sutherland during what turned out to be a second visit from police that evening concerning a report of domestic violence.
Sutherland’s attorney, John Daly, told the Star Tribune the complaint “is riddled with falsehoods. He never physically assaulted anybody, never pointed a gun at anybody and never choked anybody.”
Sutherland has been released from jail on his own recognizance. He’s due back in court on Aug. 16.
Bissett, who played youth and high school hockey at the MAC, oversaw the addition of Torrey Arena in 1997 and was part of the city planning team that first began looking at further MAC expansion 13 years ago.
“I’ve seen all of the things we’ve done and I’ve got a lot of plans, some still stuck to my office wall, of things we didn’t do,” said Bissett, who plans to retire at the end of next year. “I’d like for this one to be done when I leave. At least that would keep the MAC maintainable for the size of our community.”
Two local men died last week as a result of crashes while riding their motorcycles, the State Patrol said.
Ross Anthony Stensrud, 61, of Rochester was killed Thursday evening when his motorcycle went off the highway south of St. Charles, Minn. According to the State Patrol, Stensrud was northbound on Hwy. 74 near Park Road when the accident happened shortly after 6 p.m.
The road was dry but alcohol was said to have been involved. Stensrud was not wearing a helmet.
Kaeden Devon Price, 19, of Minneapolis, died Tuesday of multiple blunt force injuries after crashing into a pickup truck on Interstate 35W on the afternoon of Sept. 24. The State Patrol said Price, who was wearing a helmet, was speeding on his motorcycle when he sideswiped one vehicle and rear-ended the pickup.
The accident happened near E. 36th Street in Minneapolis. No one else was hurt in the crash.
Minneapolis police are boosting patrols around synagogues and Jewish community centers during the ongoing High Holy Days, amid a global rise in anti-Semitic threats and violence.
“I am concerned with all the hateful rhetoric that is online,” Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Saturday at a City Hall news conference. “I am concerned that there could be a lone actor out there that could see something online and be inspired to commit an act of violence in our community.”
Already police have arrested a man on suspicion of making terroristic threats for reportedly carrying a gun outside Temple Israel in Minneapolis last week — and authorities say the 21-year-old had previously called in threats to shoot up the synagogue using a voice-masking app.
The man has not yet been charged for the incident which occurred during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year that began at sundown Thursday. The holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, starts Friday and ends Saturday.
O’Hara said that a gun has not been recovered and that police didn’t have evidence “to suggest that this incident was anti-Semitic in nature or motivated by hateful bias.” He said there were no ongoing direct threats to which the increased patrols are responding.
However, he said, “the police department has been seeing an enhanced level of threats towards our Jewish community over the last year,” and is especially mindful of the impending anniversary Monday of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists that killed nearly 1,200 people.
Mayor Jacob Frey, who is Jewish, said he was at Temple Israel with his wife during Rosh Hashanah.
“We all have an obligation here not just to act with peace, but to encourage peace from our neighbors, regardless of what happens around the world,” he said.
