Rochester Man Charged for Pointing Replica Gun at Police
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Rochester man accused of pointing an airsoft gun at police officers responding to a domestic assault call earlier this month was in court recently.
The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office charged 62-year-old Robert Barnes with one count of felony terroristic threats and a misdemeanor domestic assault count. He was released without bail but with conditions.
Court documents say on January 8 Rochester police officers responded to an apartment complex near Mayo High School in the 1400 block of 10th Ave. Southeast after neighbors reported overhearing a domestic argument and a man telling a woman in one of the apartments that he would kill her.
Responding officers knocked on the door and spoke with Barnes through the apartment door. He told police they could not enter the apartment without a warrant. Citing safety concerns for the woman inside of the apartment, officers entered the apartment by using a key they obtained from the landlord. Police identified themselves and saw Barnes pointing a gun at them while standing in a shooting stance, according to the criminal complaint.
The first officer quickly ducked behind the door and warned other officers of the firearm. When Police did not hear shots, they peaked around the door and saw Barnes had discarded the firearm, the complaint says.
Police then apprehended Barnes and picked a locked bedroom door to check on the woman, who was complaining of head pain. She was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital by Mayo Clinic Ambulance for further evaluation, according to Rochester Police Captain Casey Moilanen.
Officers determined the gun pointed at them was a black airsoft handgun made to look like a semi-automatic handgun. Police also reported recovering an airsoft revolver that also looked like a real firearm, the charges say.
Court records indicate Barnes was released from the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday. His next court appearance is set for February 14.
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