Mpls. Man Shot & Wounded By Police Found Guilty Of Gun Charge
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minneapolis man has been found guilty of being a felon in possession of a gun in an incident where he was shot and wounded by police, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
According to the attorney's office, a Hennepin County jury convicted 36-year-old Colin Peter Reinsmoen Monday morning after four hours of deliberation.
According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to an Edina apartment on Aug. 8 for a welfare check on Reinsmoen, who has mental health issues.
Reinsmoen allegedly began threatening his parents with physical violence when they confronted him about getting help. They then called 911.
Before police arrived, Reinsmoen went back to a couch and covered himself in a blanket. When police arrived, he stood up with one of his hands in a clutched position covered by the blanket. Police asked him to see what was under the blanket, but he refused, the complaint said.
Eventually, Reinsmoen allegedly threw the blanket aside and raised his hand, which was clutching a handgun. He then pointed it directly at one of the officers, and both officers fired and struck him.
Reinsmoen was then arrested and police recovered the firearm, which was a black semi-automatic BB gun. He was taken to the hospital where he needed surgery.
Reinsmoen's defense was that a gun did not qualify as a firearm, but the jury found otherwise, saying because he already had convictions of simple robbery and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, he was prohibited from having a firearm. He was acquitted of second-degree assault.
Reinsmoen is expected to be sentenced on April 19 to five years in prison.
