MN Celebrity Chef Choked Girlfriend, Threatened Her Life: Police

ST. PAUL, MN — Celebrity St. Paul chef Justin Sutherland is accused of choking his girlfriend and threatening to shoot her on Friday.

Sutherland was charged Monday In Ramsey County with felony threats of violence. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Sutherland was released from jail on Monday.

Sutherland's attorney, John Daly, told the Star Tribune that the criminal complaint in the case "is riddled with falsehoods" and that "he never physically assaulted anybody, never pointed a gun at anybody and never choked anybody."

Sutherland has competed "Top Chef" and he won "Iron Chef America."

The criminal complaint states the following:

On June 28 just after 8 p.m., police responded to the building on the 800 block of Front Avenue after a 911 caller said a man threatened to kill her sister, according to prosecutors.

An officer arrived at the scene and Sutherland began yelling racially derogatory remarks at the officer, according to the criminal complaint. Sutherland was arrested.

Police later entered the building and found a woman who was "visibly shaking and crying," the criminal complaint states.

The woman told police that she and Sutherland were arguing over plans to go to a music festival.

The woman also said Sutherland was upset about the neighbors being racist towards him and believed he took his anger out on her, according to the criminal complaint.

During the fight, the woman called her sister, police said. While on the phone, Sutherland walked up to her, placed both hands around her neck, and applied pressure while telling her, "I want you dead," the criminal complaint states.

According to police, after that: Sutherland got a handgun and pointed it at her, stating, "Don’t come back here or I am going to shoot you" and he later hit her in the chest with the gun.

During a search of the building, police said they found two firearms: a Smith and Wesson M&P M2.0 and a Sig Sauer P320 9mm.

Police observed what appeared to be a blood-like substance on the Sig Sauer, according to the criminal complaint.