Celebrity chef Justin Sutherland, known for his culinary skills and television appearances, is facing serious legal trouble following allegations of assault and threats against his girlfriend. Sutherland, 39, who is from the Twin Cities, has been charged with one felony count of threats of violence in connection to an incident that occurred last Friday.
CBS News reports that police responded to a report of a man with a gun outside a building on the 800 block of Front Avenue shortly after 8 p.m. on Friday. The caller indicated that the male suspect had the gun in his hand and that a female individual “appeared to be in distress.” Another caller, on a video call with her sister, reported that her sister’s boyfriend was trying to kill her and had thrown her phone to the ground.
When officers arrived, they encountered Sutherland exiting the rear of the building. Despite initially yelling at the officer and questioning the arrest, Sutherland complied with the officer’s commands and was taken into custody. A longtime friend of Sutherland, who also lives in the building, informed the police that Sutherland had recently moved in with his girlfriend and that they had been having issues when they fought. The friend claimed to have intervened physically to separate them but denied seeing Sutherland with a gun.
Sutherland’s girlfriend recounted that the argument began when he informed her they would not be attending a music festival. She also mentioned that Sutherland was upset about their neighbors’ alleged racism, which she believed he was taking out on her. According to the complaint, Sutherland approached her during a call with her sister, choked her, and slammed her phone on the kitchen counter multiple times. Later, he allegedly grabbed a gun, pointed it at her, threatened to shoot her, and hit her in the chest with the firearm.
During the execution of a search warrant at the address, police discovered a plastic gun case on the bed with two handguns inside, along with eight additional firearms and ammunition. One of the guns had a blood-like substance on it, and police noted that Sutherland had blood on his hands when they initially made contact with him. The woman’s broken phone was also recovered.
Earlier that evening, police had been dispatched to the same address after a woman reported her boyfriend choked her and was trying to kick her out of the apartment. She refused to provide his name, not wanting to get anyone in trouble. Responding officers spoke with the woman, who said they had a disagreement, during which he pushed her in the chest. She indicated she was fine and did not need assistance. Sutherland also told police it was just a verbal disagreement and that they did not need police intervention. No arrests were made at that time.
Sutherland appeared in court on Monday morning and was released shortly after on his own recognizance. As a condition of his release, he was ordered to surrender all of his firearms. Criminal defense attorney John Daly is representing Sutherland.
This incident has shocked fans and the culinary community, as Sutherland’s reputation as a celebrated chef is now overshadowed by these serious allegations. The investigation is ongoing, and further legal proceedings will determine the outcome of the case.
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
The post Celebrity Chef Justin Sutherland Arrested for Assault and Threatening to Shoot Girlfriend first appeared on The Source.
The post Celebrity Chef Justin Sutherland Arrested for Assault and Threatening to Shoot Girlfriend appeared first on The Source.