Assault Charges Filed After Maple Grove Benihana Shooting
A Brooklyn Park man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly shot a man inside a Maple Grove restaurant.
Deontae Coney, 31, has been charged with second-degree assault after he was detained on Dec. 23.
According to the criminal complaint:
The shooting occurred at the Maple Grove Benihana at 11840 Fountains Way. Coney was allegedly at the restaurant on Nov. 14 with another man, a woman and four children.
Coney entered the restaurant just before 4 p.m. wearing a distinctive crossbody bag and sat in the dining area, the complaint said.
Meanwhile, the victim of the shooting was seated at the bar with a woman.
About a half-hour later, surveillance video shows the two met in a hallway and became involved in a verbal dispute.
That disagreement led to “physical contact,” according to the criminal complaint.
Prosecutors allege that Coney then walked back to his table to retrieve his bag, then shot the victim.
“At that time, the gunman pulled out his semiautomatic handgun; shot victim in the lower part of his body; and touted something to the effect of ‘And that’s why you don’t mess around!’ Amid the ensuing panic, the gunman left the restaurant and drove away in a white Jeep
Wagoneer,” the criminal complaint read.
The victim left the restaurant and was taken to the hospital.
He was shot in the left groin and the bullet exited his right buttock.
Police found a 9mm discharged cartridge casing and the fired bullet at the restaurant.
Complaint: Animal maltreatment found at Brooklyn Park home
Detectives traced the suspect vehicle to Coney and located it at a home on Zealand Avenue in Brooklyn Park.
After obtaining a search warrant for the home, police found a .45 caliber handgun — although it did not match the one used in the shooting — as well as a 9mm magazine which matched the firearm used in the shooting.
Likewise, officers found a crossbody bag at the property that matched the one seen in the restaurant video footage.
Additional surveillance footage from the home shows Coney wearing clothes that match the shooter in the days following the incident.
Police also found six dogs at the home in outside cages that did not have water, food, lights or heat. Some were sitting in their own feces and appeared to have injured legs and paws.
Officers seized the dogs and may pursue a separate animal maltreatment case, the complaint said.
A witness identified Coney as the shooter in a photo lineup.
Detectives also found that Coney had searched for the victim’s name on Facebook, as well as his girlfriend and other family members in the hours and days after the shooting. At the time, the victim’s name had not been released to the public.
The courts issued a warrant for Coney’s arrest on Dec. 9. It was sealed until he was detained.
Coney was released from the Hennepin County Jail on Dec. 24 after posting bail. His bond was $500,000.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 20.
