2 January 2024
DULUTH A man charged with shooting and injuring a bystander in Duluth last year was recently shot and killed in Minneapolis.
Mikiyel Deshone Patton, 37, died from multiple gunshot wounds at a north Minneapolis residence Dec. 19, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
His death has been ruled a homicide. The Minneapolis Police Department in late December issued a public call for assistance with the investigation, and authorities have yet to announce any arrests.
Patton, of Minneapolis, had been charged in State District Court in Duluth with second-degree assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless discharge of a firearm after the May 13 incident in the Central Hillside neighborhood area.
Authorities said Patton and another man were seen arguing in front of an apartment building on the 100 block of East Third Street around 2:15 p.m. on a Saturday. He then reportedly reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a gun, pointing it at the other man’s feet.
Duluth police said surveillance video showed Patton firing several shots as the other man attempted to run away. At least one shot apparently landed near the intended target, as investigators later recovered a bullet fragment from his shoe.
But another round struck the uninvolved pedestrian, Timothy Stauffenecker, 59, who was walking on the other side of the street. Stauffenecker took himself to the hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening bullet wound in the left bicep area. A bullet fragment that traveled to his shoulder blade area could not be safely removed, according to charging documents.
Authorities were able to track Patton’s subsequent movements and locate an SUV he had been driving in the Twin Cities area. He was arrested three days after the shooting by the U.S. Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
Patton, however, posted a $100,000 bond just days after his arraignment and remained free. The case had remained in pretrial litigation, with defense attorney J.D. Schmid having filed a brief the same week as Patton’s death in support of his motion to suppress statements made to officers at the St. Louis County Jail in May.
St. Louis County prosecutor Michael Hagley formally dismissed the case last week upon confirmation of Patton’s death.
Minneapolis police said Patton was found with life-threatening injuries at 915 Newton Ave. N. around 6:35 p.m. Dec. 19. First responders attempted life-saving care, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Police said suspects were initially believed to be hiding in a nearby abandoned house, but it was discovered empty after the SWAT team was summoned. Investigators have since asked the public to report if they have video footage of either a person running or a 2024 gray BMW sedan driving in the area.
Patton had again been in the news in the weeks leading up to his death. A warrant was issued for his arrest in Goodhue County in early December after he allegedly stole five French bulldog puppies, valued at $15,000 a piece, and attempted to extort a $20,000 ransom from their Cannon Falls owner.
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