Local Man Charged With Trying to Unload Cop's Gun

A Southwest Minneapolis man has been charged with attempting to grab a police officer’s weapon after an altercation in a Richfield park.

Abdul Rahim Trotman, 38, who lives in the 3700 block of Bryant Avenue South, is charged with attempted disarming of a peace officer, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, signed by Richfield Police Detective Eric Lammle, Richfield police spotted a vehicle in Veterans Memorial Park after hours on Sept. 2. When they moved closer to the car to investigate, they smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside, the complaint says.

Officers identified the driver of the car as Trotman, removed him from the vehicle and put him in the back of a squad car. They searched the car and found several plastic bags of marijuana, then returned to the squad car to search Trotman.

When police attempted to search Trotman, he began to “actively resist,” struggling with officers until he ended up on the ground. While he was being held on the ground, Trotman grabbed one officer’s firearm with his right hand, reached into the holster and pressed the magazine release button, leaving the gun with only one bullet, according to the complaint.

Trotman did not succeed in removing the officer’s weapon out of the holster, and police were able to restrain him and transport him to jail.

Trotman has been released from custody on a $7,500 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled Oct. 3 in Hennepin County District Court.