Austin man accused of pointing replica gun at neighbor

John Molseed, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

Apr. 17—AUSTIN, Minn. — An Austin man is accused of pointing a realistic-looking gun at a neighbor and struggling with police when they went to talk to him about the incident.

John Bradley Shea, 42, faces felony charges of threats of violence; assault on a peace officer; two counts of threats of violence while displaying a replica gun and misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault motivated by bias, obstruction of the legal process and fifth-degree assault.

According to the criminal complaint:

An Austin man was in his backyard Monday, April 15, working on his bicycle when Shea, whose garage faces the man's backyard across the alley, opened the garage door. The man said he isn't sure how an argument started but claimed that Shea began using racial slurs, the criminal complaint says. The man told police he had no time for Shea but said to him, "if you're such a man come out of your garage and talk to me then."

The complaint alleges that Shea then drew a blue gun that appeared to be a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol similar to a Glock and said the man had now given him an excuse to shoot him.

The man also told police Shea had produced a gun while two kids were playing in the yard, the complaint said.

Officers from the Austin Police Department went to Shea's home and spoke with him outside his front door. Shea said that his neighbor had physically threatened him. Shea put his hands in his pocket while speaking with police. When officers told him to take his hands out of his pockets Shea refused. When one of the officers tried to pull Shea's hands into view, Shea then struggled with the officer and lunged toward his front door. Inside the front door, the two struggled some more. Another officer there used a stun gun on Shea's shoulder and officers were able to handcuff him, the complaint states.

One officer sustained cuts to his hand and marks on his elbow, the document shows.

Shea was taken to the Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Austin before being booked on charges. En route to Mayo, Shea allegedly talked disparagingly about his neighbor for being Mexican.

Police searched Shea's home and found multiple CO2 guns that resemble semi-automatic pistols, an AR-15 receiver jig kit and an AR-15 barrel kit along with 9mm and .223 ammunition.

Shea was booked in the Mower County Jail where he is being held on a $50,000 bond.