Rochester Man Sent to Jail for Shooting During Botched Robbery

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man was sentenced Monday for shooting another man in the leg a couple of years ago.

22-year-old Demonte Simmons recently entered a guilty plea to a charge of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Under the terms of his plea deal, a first-degree aggravated robbery charge, and a gross misdemeanor charge of carrying a pistol without a permit were dismissed.

READ MORE: Rochester Shooting Suspect Awaits Sentencing After Guilty Plea

Court records show Simmons was arrested in July 2022 after he was spotted running away from a residence as Rochester police were preparing to execute several search warrants connected to the investigation into the shooting, which occurred in May 2022. According to the criminal complaint, the officers involved saw Simmons discarding a distinctive looking handgun that the victim later recognized as the weapon that he was threatened with during an attempted robbery that led to the shooting.

The charges against Simmons alleged that he lured the victim to a southeast Rochester home by arranging to meet for the purpose of purchasing marijuana. When the victim arrived, he told police the two men approached his pickup and then tried to rob him.

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The court document says one of the men, later identified as Simmons, was armed with a 9 mm handgun and opened fire as the victim began to drive away. Rochester police later found several bullet holes on the victim's vehicle and six spent shell casings at the crime scene. The criminal complaint says one of the bullets struck the victim in the leg.

Simmons has been ordered to spend approximately six months in jail. He was also given a stayed three year prison sentence that could be executed if he violates the terms of his probation, which runs for five years.  The sentence represents a downward departure from state sentencing guidelines.