Man Accused Of Firing Shots At Bouncer In Waconia

January 16, 2011 10:36 PM

waconia, shooting, bouncer, shots fired, hoppers bar

(credit: Carver County Jail)

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WACONIA, Minn. (WCCO) — A New Germany man is accused of firing several shots at a bouncer in Waconia. Thirty-two-year-old Michael Gregory Peterson remains in custody Sunday and faces attempted homicide charges.

The shooting happened at Hoppers Bar and Grill during a busy Saturday night. Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said there were approximately 100 people inside the bar, all of whom were told to get away from the door and duck, around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.

“It started inside where the subject involved had thrown a drink on someone,” said Sheriff Olson.

Peterson was then kicked out of the bar. Olson said Peterson retaliated by shooting several rounds from a Ruger 380 handgun at the bouncer.

“It’s a miracle that no one got hurt from this,” said Olson.

Peterson eventually left, but then came back only to find some Hoppers customers waiting for him.

“There was some folks that tackled him. Some of the bar patrons had him on the ground when we arrived,” said Olson.

The shooting has nearby bar owners thinking twice about their own late-night security.

“Not that you want to be that way, but a woman closing and a guy closing is two different things. I’ll never have a girl here alone ever again,” said Trent Klein, owner of Waconia Lanes.

Peterson fired five to six rounds from the gun, but no one was hurt.

Authorities did not know, as of Sunday, if Peterson had a permit for his weapon.

WCCO-TV’s Rachel Slavik Reports

Man Accused Of Firing Shots At Bouncer In Waconia

Bob

What a complete idiot, I hope he didn’t have a permit to carry. It would give us all a bad name. Guns and alcohol never are a good mix…..

Bob’s Nephew

People with a permit to carry better be more responsible then this nut job!

ddubya77

He does not have a conceal carry permit.!

Mike’s Friend

Mike does have a permit to carry, but that does not justify his actions. He has been depressed lately and I wish he wouldn’t continue to drink his problems away. He truly is a good person and even after this incident I would not feel threatened by him. Although, I am very suprised he pulled the gun out at the bar. Hopefully he has learned, as Bob had mentioned, that guns and alcohol never are a good mix.

BK

I think they should have given the bouncer the gun and walked away til it was over true justice. That would end a lot of these studid people popping caps wothout cause. I am a competetive shooter, and do NOT promote violence but these morons need a message sent and a painless death penalty and life in prison are not doing it!!!!!!

Sai Simonson

Right on! I am aghast at how perps become victims and lawyers claim insanity. Of course someone in their right mind does not do irrational things. Drugs and alcohol change the equation. It is disgusting if he has concealed carry. Gives us all a bad rep. Yes, he was not in his right mind. That does not excuse his actions. He choose to get inebriated while carrying. Not forgivable. TG no one was hurt.

Longtime Friend of Mikes

This is a good person who did a very stupid thing. I agree with your final statement; thank god that no one was hurt. There is not an acceptable excuse for what happened, and Mike will have to pay the price for his actions. But to you and all of the others who are so quick to judge I can only say I hope you are never judged so harshley!

Wow

What a way to mess-up ones own life, he obviosly has issues. 5-6 shots and missed, think that was on purpose but some people are not that good with handguns.
Jj

Love Hoppers. Often full of families dining on awesome burgers. Isnt any place safe anymore?

BigTodd

Not when the drunks take over
ddubya

Hoppers a family establishment?? That place is a serious dive and attracts some total A-Holes.. There have been plenty of times I’ve watched coke being snorted in the bathroom, fights EVERY night there is a crowd. The place sucks!

oh please…

So that makes these actions acceptable? By day there are families there, after 9pm it turns into a different crowd, but one that’s not as bad as you’re saying. But with a name like ddubya, I’m sure you’re a very intelligent intellectual.
wow

This isn’t an issue on what kind of bar it is. It is an issue of the act of violence that occurred.

Kally

too bad he only got a few scuff marks on his face, should have scuffed it some more. Thanks everyone fro jumping in and taking him down, this crazy jerk might have killed a bunch of people..
Sick of it

And citizens wonder why cops beat people…

Not sick of it yet

I agree… cops that beat people are just as mentally unstable as this guy and should be taken down by the bystanders till a REAL cop gets there.

Andrew in albert lea

yep — unstable bystanders too. The kind that would beat him senseless. Maybe tatoo his forehead with I am a drunk and wanna be killer.

BeatnDowninMN

Not me – and I support them in doing so in many cases. And anyone else who grabs a perp. Knock ‘em apart and spare us the bill.

Jeff Swanson

The crazy thing was that nobody knew what was going on inside. It would have been nice if they would have told us what was going on…. Still we were able to keep drinking… so it wasn’t all that bad.
Susan K Maddern

how do you know it was the bouncer’s fault>? That is still know reason to take out a gun and shoot at people!
tee

I’m going to call bs on your fiance getting thrown out for wearing a different sports teams t-shirt, and if he somehow did, it wouldn’t be that hard for the owners to figure out what happened because they have a live feed of the bar accessible to from their homes and they could watch the film and see what your dumb ass fiance did.

ya ya man

What did you say, please speaky ENGLISH

shocked

I’ve known Mike for 15 yrs. I didn’t believe it until I saw it on the news. This is completely out of character for him. He’s a decent and very giving person, who made some bad choices that night. I know he is thankful that he didn’t hurt anyone, because the Mike I know wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did. I am praying for him and his family tonight.
Cant stop me

THE bouncers at Hoppers are weak i agree.. Get outta there town they would be treated like crap.. They think they are so tough, but yet really there just weak as men..
Glass House

Have any of you that likely don’t know Mike and posting your opinion here ever driven drunk? I bet you have at some point. You drove a 3000lb bullet past hundreds of people and luckly missed also. Think about your past decisions before you judge people. I am not defending what he did, it was very dangerous and stupid and he will pay for it. Thank God he did not hurt anyone besides himself. Don’t throw rocks when you live in a glass house!

RUDE

You’re just being rude now. There is nothing wrong with Waconia because of one random act of violence.

wow

I agree. I was born and raised in Waconia, still love it. This stuff happens other places also. Yes it is unfortunate that it happened but it is not a reason for people going around bashing the town, the bouncers and the bar itself.
Amanda

I grew up in Waconia, and although i’m not fond of the place myself, my entire family still lives there and they love it. In fact, it’s a miracle none of my family or friends were hurt in this shooting, but let’s try to remain rational and not be so quick to judge this guy or this town based on one act of bad judgement. I don’t know this man, and obviously It was a horrible choice, but it would be follly to assume he’s simply a crazy gun-toting psychopath wtithout knowing him, the situation, his state of mind, or what he was thinking when the act occurred.

Nicole R

I l live here. I didn’t have a problem with this town until this. The fact is that it can happen anywhere, and that the small towns aren’t “small”or safe anymore

cf

Honey open your eyes, no one’s as perfect as you.

Marick T

Got news GlassHut – it’s not that many who in fact act so irresponsible as to do so. For those that have – I hope they toss away the fricken key on you. Wake up, grow up or let me have an hour with you, no rules or laws involved.
Drunks deserve nothing ……. not a single thing good.
No glass house here. Ever

Someone with the FACTS

You are an narrow minded, ignorate jerk. This guy may be a lot of things, but a drunk is not one.
Richard Y.

for sure. he was straight as an arrow, sensible as a Minister and as mellow as God.

Your boy was a drunk. A violent confrontational evil bastid out to scare and maim. He get to rot in jail like they do to everyone else.
Take your bleeding hearts and pray with him during visitation. Don’t fret – he’s white and will do half the time a black would. That right there is wrong too.
Amanda

So now violence begets violence, which will in turn halt the cycle of violence?

ddubya

Nicole R… I know it’s easy to sit where you’re sitting and point the finger.. I’ve been there plenty, but now I know the guy personally and he is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He truly cares about people. I honestly believe this is a combination of alchol and prescription medication. This is not Mike Peterson, and I know that he is beating himself up today. Thank God he didn’t hurt anyone and hopefully he can’t get help. I am shocked just like everyone else that knows him. He may be a big dumbass, but not a violent, hurtful person.

Mark in Waconia

don’t fruggen matter what line of BS or excuses ones concocts – he does a load of time. He needs to get the brain staright after the time. Then let him walk free. Maybe

patrick

This is the second time since the conceal and carry law went into effect that I’ve heard about a guy pulling a gun after a bouncer kicked him out. The first time the bounced was killed. I’ve also heard of one bouncer able to pull a gun and protect people from a knife wielding drunk. Kinda hard to know what to think.
eric

Idiot. Rot.
pat lynch

put him in jail until he stops drinking. it’s just a matter of time before he kills someone by drunk driving or drunk shooting. put him in jail and throw away the key. they don’t remember what they did when they get that drunk so we should do their renembering for them.

ddubya

Shut up!! You don’t know him… He is very nice guy, and all of us that know him personally are trying to figure out WHY?

Yabob

Is this the same Mike Peterson that went to CLC in Brainerd and St. Cloud State? I haven’t seen him years, looks like him…

If it is I am shocked! This is way out of character for the Mike I knew. I am truly thankful no one was injured. It is obvious his actioins are inexcusable and he should have consequences. The Mike I knew was a great guy and friend. Wow, I am shocked if it is him…

ddubya

It is him, and you are right about it being totally out of his character.. I am still trying to figure out how this happened.. I guess that’s what everyone says when something like this happens. I have a feeling he is going to need his “friends” in the near future. I for one will testify to his character. I am just so glad he didn’t hurt anybody for his sake and their’s..

SaraSmiles

I’ll testify to his character as well. He was always nice and this is very out of character. He volunteered many hours of his time to help me in my time of need. He is a good person who must have just snapped. i don’t think it’s right what he did, but I don’t think the key needs to be thrown away on him either, as so many people are making comments about. Everyone is quick to judge a person based on a media report, but slow to believe that a good guy just had a really bad day. Justice will be served, but give the guy a break with the harsh comments that he’s an evil person on top of it.

Confused

Crazy stupid actions from Mike who from all my experiences with him before this we so positive. It shows how fast someone can ruin an otherwise nice life. It is a shame but his actions hurt a lot of people. This is a family run business and the owners don’t deserve this bad press. The bouncer shot at will think about this night for the rest of his life. I believe this to be a freak occurrence from a local guy making a horrible decision to bring a loaded gun out. I would like to ask mike, as his friend, what the heck was he thinking.
NA

Mike had a head injury in september and told people he hasn’t been the same since. U can see the scar on his forehead in the mug shot. Not excusing his actions, but boose, medications and a brain injury shed a little light to why a decent person would do something like this. I know he will pay greatly for his actions, but I hope he gets the help he needs as well.

Susan

yes,Mike needs help but if he had a head injury and taking medications he shouldn,t have been drinking.he does need help and I hope he gets it but because of this it will affect him with his sctions for the rest of his life.
Longtime Friend

I would hope that that all of the judgemental people leavng messages are not judged so harshley in the event they screw up in life. Mike made a huge mistake, and he will have to pay the consequences. However as someone who has know Mike many years, this behavior is totally out of character for him. Thank God that no one was physically injured or killed, and if this is the event that had to take place for Mike’s issues to surface, then let’s all be hopeful he will get the help he needs. Mike – Please know that there are lots of people in the community wishing you well and praying for during this difficult time.

Wally Dexton

Actually “Friend” – if I did this I’d hope they lock me up for a long time before I do it again to someone.
We all have issues. Some a helluva lot bigger than any he may be carrying too. I don’t read 100 times a day about all the others.
Send me the key to his dorm please court system. Thank you in advance
SaraSmiles

Couldn’t agree more. (Mike, you are in my thoughts and prayers)

ddubya

I’ve known Michael most of my life and this is NOT in his character.. If he meant to hurt someone he would have. He made a STUPID mistake, and luckily nobody was hurt. I still can’t believe it. There also needs to be some investigation in the way “bouncers” handle situations. I know the bouncer mentality and they LOVE to provoke situations. I’m not making excuses for his STUPID decision, but I am trying to understand how this happened.
john D

I love the media!! All of us that have conceal carry permits know that the information is everywhere. We have cards, notations on driver’s license, and police know INSTANTLY if someone has a conceal carry permit. They don’t want to report on the fact that he DOES NOT have a CC permit. They are trying to make it look like he does to make the rest of us look bad. READ BETWEEN THE LINES PEOPLE.

Long Time Friende

Sorry John D, the fact is that he does have a concel carry permit. That still doesn’t excuse carrying a loaded fire arm when you are out with friends drinking.

frankd

What an idiot, and as for the friends of Mikes, quit defending him. Getting kicked out of a bar for throwing a drink is bad enough. Showing back up with a gun is psychotic this guy should get his a$$ kicked just for being that stupid. Bravo to the yah heys who tackled this dumbfu@@ until the Sheriff showed up. Having a loaded firearm in your car isnt a problem, bringing it into a bar after youve been kicked out and shooting it at people is a problem. Quit defending him at this point friend or not, youre making yourself look stupid.
Kyle’s not buying it

stupid they is ……. might not feel that way if they were sitting at a table there inside when he got nasty. They weren’t – so now it’s all the spare Michaels.
No way — everyone there show up at the hearing. EVERYONE
Friend of all involved

frankd – First of all, the reason Mike has friends defending him is because he is a person worth defending. Little do you know that Mike was ‘friends’ with the bouncer, so there is more history than you know to this. I’m friends with all involved in this. No one was deserving of any of it. The people that are making themselves sound stupid are the ones that are basing everything off the media alone. Get your story together before judging a person. Judge the crime instead, A-hole.

And ‘Kyle that’s not buying it’ – starting a sentence with ‘Stupid they is’…really? Learn how to speak and write english, buddy.

concerned friend

To all those who have so much to say and judgment to pass, try once to picture the calmest, nicest, most down to earth friend you know doing something like this. I’d imagine it’s very hard, some of you are saying they would never do such a thing. Now maybe you can try and imagine where those of us that know him are coming from. I’m not trying to justify his actions as i’m sure the rest of his friends are not, I just hate to see him stereotyped with someone in whom as had a violent lifestyle. Just want people to think about a close friend before passing judgment. Please don’t think i am trying to justify such behavior. Please keep him in your prayers,as well as others who maybe dealing with things that most of us can not comprehend.
NJ

He didn’t shoot at anyone, it was outside. Nice facts reporting WCCO, anything to get viewers.
SS

most of you need to go back to school and learn how to read and write! you are trying to talk all tough and hardly any of it makes sense and half the words are spelt wrong! makes me think you really have no clue what you are talking about! Quit judging mike, and let him be judged by the only person that has the right to judge anyone and that is GOD!!! MIke will have to answer for his actions! but we are not in control of how it will be handled. so quit flappin your jaws and let justice be served! and if you think of it, maybe say a little prayer for mike and his family, they could probably use it right now!

Grammar police

I wish folks that lecture others on grammar would take the time to properly construct their own sentences.

susan

What mike did was wrong but maybe he’ll get the help he needs because we do know Mike has some issues and one of them is drinking.Be thankful that know one got hurt or killed when he was shooting that gun this could have been alot worse. Don;t be so hard on other other people giving their opinion that’s what commemts are for. we’ll pray for Mike and hi s family.
mtime

I personally want to thank Kevin and all the other bouncers that kept us safe inside!
These guys literally put their arms out and put their bodies in-front of the door to protect us! You can imagine things get a little crazy when its two in the morning and there are 100 drunk people locked inside the bar! It was f*****g nuts! Don’t know the guy but I saw him get bounced out by his head, I’m sure he was pissed but Seriously! WOAHHHH! Good job to the people that tackled him cuz in my opinion the cops took too long and seemed flustered and unsure what to do! A total fuck show! Felt safer with the bouncers!!!

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Man Accused Of Firing Shots At Bouncer In Waconia

January 16, 2011 10:36 PM

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