St. Paul Bar Owner Pleads Guilty In Connection To Case Where 5 Officers Were Fired

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A St. Paul bar owner has pleaded guilty to felony third-degree assault in connection to a case that resulted in the firing of five police officers.

On Wednesday, Tou Mo Cha, 50, of Vadnais Heights pleaded guilty to the one felony count while two other second-degree assault charges were dismissed.

According to the criminal complaint, Cha allegedly beat a completely defenseless man with a baton at his St. Paul Checker Pizza in June of 2018. The victim said Cha also pepper sprayed him before using the baton to beat him.

The victim had two significant lacerations on his head that needed to be closed with multiple staples. The victim's mother said she saw Cha strike her son on the head with a baton.

According to the complaint, there was a fight that broke out right before the incident, and police responded and dispersed the crowd. One of the responding squad cars left the immediate area, but parked with its lights off across the street.

The case resulted in the firing of five St. Paul police officers. In June of 2019, St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell announced the termination of the officers, who he said saw the attack, but did not intervene.

Attorney Andy Noel later confirmed he is representing the assault victim in this case. His firm represented the families of Justine Ruszczyk Damond and Philando Castile during civil proceedings.

Related: Damond, Castile Lawyer To Represent Man Assaulted While SPPD Officers Allegedly Stood By

At the time of the last report, the department's union, the St. Paul Police Federation, said it will be appealing the termination of the officers.

Cha will be sentenced October 30, 2019.