Eden Prairie man accused of pulling gun at McDonald's charged with making terroristic threats

KSTP.com ^ | 12/3/18 | Frank Rajkowski

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

A 55-year-old Eden Prairie man has been charged with making terroristic threats and carrying or possessing a pistol without a permit in a public place in connection to an incident at McDonald's last month in which he allegedly displayed a gun during an altercation with a group of teenagers.

Court records show Lloyd Edward Johnson was charged Monday in Hennepin County. The first charge is a felony. The second is a gross misdemeanor. He is scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 10.

“These teens were racially and religiously profiled by both the gunman and the McDonald’s,” Jaylani Hussein, with the Council on American Islamic Relations said Monday.

The group called for McDonald’s to fire the managers involved at the Eden Prairie location, but to also re-train workers at all McDonald’s restaurants across the country.

“I believe McDonald’s staff would have acted differently if the color of the gunman was black and the teens were white,” Hussein said.

According to the criminal complaint, Eden Prairie police officers were dispatched to the McDonald's on the 500 block of Prairie Center Drive on Nov. 19 on a report that a man had pulled a gun on a group of teenagers, but was no longer on the scene.

Two 17-year-olds reportedly told officers they were trying to use "Apple Pay" to purchase food, but the system wasn't working. They allege a male behind them told them to hurry up, saying "you were probably trying to pay with EBT."

That led to a confrontation. One of the 17-year-olds alleges the man - later identified as Johnson - began balling his fist, "putting her in fear that he was going to hit her."

The complaint goes on to state that the two teens said Johnson walked away, but then returned with his cellphone, appearing to record the argument. They said he then yelled at everyone to back up, pulled a handgun from his waistband and exited the store.

Officers obtained short clips of the incident from cellphones.

According to the complaint, officers later spoke with Johnson who did not have a permit to carry a firearm. He allegedly admitted he had a handgun in his right jacket pocket, and that he felt threatened by the teens and pulled it out so he could leave the restaurant. He reportedly said he did not point the gun at anyone, but may have waved it.

“Anybody could have easily lost their lives that day. Any of my friends,” Jihan Abdulahi said, who is one of the teens prosecutors say Johnson confronted. “And I said to him, just because we are a group of black kids you think we are trying to pay with EBT.”

He also reportedly admitted making the statement about the EBT card, and said "that was an insult, I shouldn't have said that."

“You don’t take your frustrations out by saying pejorative things because they’re kids or perhaps because they are Somali Americans,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said.

The complaint also says officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun in between the two front seats of Johnson's car. It was loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, but did not have a round in the chamber.

According to the complaint, surveillance footage from the McDonald's, which was finally provided to officers on Nov. 28 after technical difficulties with the system, shows Johnson pull out a gun.

“He took it out and waved it and told them he had a gun and a number of witnesses saw it,” Freeman said.

Freeman said Johnson is not in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for January.

“Certainly if there are any threats we will arrest him immediately,” Freeman said.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

He started it. He escalated it.

Dumbass gives the already empowered local Somali community more ammo for their 'cause'.

I'd like to personally punch him in the face.

Idiot with a gun ruins it for the rest of us.

[heterosupremacist]

*Jaylani Hussein, with the Council on American Islamic Relations said Monday.*

izlamaphobia/hate crime/the accused is a Trump supporter/hand guns must all be confiscated, etc.

McD’s will be extorted for BIG bucks.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Like I said, this clown has done the rest of us no favor.

[dsc]

“You don’t take your frustrations out by saying pejorative things because they’re kids or perhaps because they are Somali Americans,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said.”

So, there is now a rule against saying “pejorative things” in public? When did that happen? But it’s okay to be rude and threatening?

Looks like the yankees learned a lot from the Reconstruction.

[Steve_Seattle]

About a month ago, a few days before the election, I took my car to a Jiffy Lube for a routine oil change. The two young Hispanics on duty told me that my car (a Hyundai Accent) was probably too small to fit on the oil-change ramp. I told them that I'd been there before, and there was no problem. I also asked them to check my windshield wipers because one of them seemed to be digging into the windshield even though the wipers were relatively ew.

I went into the waiting room, and within five minutes they said my car was done. They said nothing about the wipers, and didn't vacuum the car as is usually done.

Question: Were these guys just messing with a middle-aged white man? Why else would they say my car wouldn't fit on the equipment, even though its the same size as millions of other cars?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Were these two also the Manager?

Find another place to get your car serviced.

I went to a Jiffy Lube.

Once.

[Paladin2]

No,. Mohammad started it, centuries ago.

[Robert DeLong]

This is in Minnesota?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Yeah.

We have our share of idiots here, too.

[familyop]

"He started it. He escalated it.
Dumbass gives the already empowered local Somali community more ammo for their 'cause'.

I'd like to personally punch him in the face.

Idiot with a gun ruins it for the rest of us."

Yes, but eventually, enough of them will learn their lessons or be incarcerated for more serious offenses. And if we consider the sum of such incidents compared to the total population number, it's not so bad. We can't "stop" all violence, and we'll need to settle for relative peace.

[familyop]

"We have our share of idiots here, too."

Some, maybe. But many Internet discussion board users are simply addicted to bothering others and getting a rise out of each of them. They're like a spoiled, ugly child rubbing boogers on his siblings and looking for a reaction.

[Robert DeLong]

I’d more than a fair share. So I cannot blame this man, he may have had his fill of them and was fighting back. But the press is not going to treat him kindly, though they will use it for as much mileage as they can get. For that I fault him.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

“I’d more than a fair share. So I cannot blame this man, he may have had his fill of them and was fighting back.”

Sorry. He was the instigator. He elevated the situation.

I know that area of Eden Prairie. There are several fast food restaurants on that block. He could have been patient or just moved next door to KFC.

He chose to be an ahole and pull a weapon for no reason. Making guys like me a bad guy, by proxy.

[Robert DeLong]

He may have been the instigator in this instance, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't been on the other end many times already. You can take an incident in isolation, and make that statement. You may be right, and then again you may be wrong. There is, more than likely, more to this story then what has been told. We may or may not ever know the real reason for his actions.

Regardless the press will make hay of it, and law abiding citizens will take a hit with regard to 2nd amendment rights. We are always going to have the fight, with or without this guys actions. We need to fight the fight, and ignore the distractions. This guy is a distraction, nothing more nothing less. Fortunately he did not end up shooting up the place. For that I am thankful.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

He admitted to making the snark towards the teens. He admitted that he was stupid.

He admitted to pulling the weapon.

He doesn’t help me and people like me.

[Crucial]

OK this is the third one this week. I think this is officially an epidemic.

[ExGeeEye]

Maybe they’d want me on that jury; maybe not.

Guilty (if proven so) of the various unlawful uses of a firearm, sure

Guilty of having one without a permission slip? Nevvah. Under ANY circumstances.

[shelterguy]

I live nearby. Eden Prairie has the second largest population of skinnies in the state. Where is the national outrage when these bands of skinnies raise hell at Valley Fair constantly or the tons of of other mayhem they cause?

This guy acted like a full retard but I know exactly why he is so tired of it.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Two threads on this page about idiots pulling a gun at a fast food joint.

I think the latest Lib campaign against the Second Amendment looks like “we have too many people who are too STOOOOPID to be trusted with firearms”.

[marktwain]

Two 17-year-olds reportedly told officers they were trying to use "Apple Pay" to purchase food, but the system wasn't working. They allege a male behind them told them to hurry up, saying "you were probably trying to pay with EBT." That led to a confrontation. One of the 17-year-olds alleges the man - later identified as Johnson - began balling his fist, "putting her in fear that he was going to hit her.

Notice this is all from the side of the group of "teens". Guess what: they lie a lot.

Let us see the video.

Were there threats made by the mob of teens towards the single white male?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Just because one side of a dispute claims something happened or is true does not make it so.