Richfield Man Really Didn't Want His Car Towed

A Richfield man apparently took exception to the prospect of having his car towed last week, allegedly waving a gun at a tow truck operator and threatening to “shoot up” the truck, police say.

Christopher Darnell Stowers, 21, is facing a felony charge of making terroristic threats, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Police were called to investigate a report of a gun threat at an apartment building in the 7700 block of 12th Avenue South on May 30.

According to the complaint, signed by Det. Joseph Ogren, the tow truck operator told police that he was starting to tow away a car parked in a fire lane when a woman ran out of the apartment building and claimed that the car was hers. The man said he told the woman how much it would cost to retrieve the car, and she went back inside.

The woman came back out a few minutes later with Stowers, who became irate, calling the tow truck driver names, according to the complaint. Stowers allegedly told the truck operator that if he saw his tow truck in the parking lot again, he would get his gun and “shoot it up." According to the complaint, the truck driver said Stowers then reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a handgun and waved it at him.

The driver got into his tow truck and left. According to the complaint, Stowers was charged a short time later and admitted to police that he had threatened to “get his gun” if he saw the tow-truck driver in the parking lot again, however, he said he was “heated and just making threats."

Stowers denied having a gun. When police searched his apartment, they found a carbon dioxide cartridge and pellets for a BB gun, but didn’t find any firearms, the complaint says.

Stowers is free on a $20,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled July 10 in Hennepin County District Court.