Twin Cities chef Justin Sutherland pleads guilty to threats of violence in fight with girlfriend
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Justin Sutherland, a celebrity chef from the Twin Cities, pleaded guilty on Monday to a felony charge stemming from a fight with his girlfriend earlier this summer.
Court documents show Sutherland, best known for being an "Iron Chef America" winner and "Top Chef" contestant, pleaded guilty to one felony count of threats of violence for the June 28 incident. His attorney, John Daly, says Sutherland only pled guilty to a verbal altercation with his girlfriend.
Charges say St. Paul police officers were called to the 800 block of Front Avenue on the report of a person with a gun outside a building. The caller said the male suspect had the gun in his hand and a female individual "appeared to be in distress." A second caller said she was on a video call with her sister who said her boyfriend was trying to kill her, and that he took the phone away and threw it to the ground.
Upon arrival, officers found Sutherland exiting from the back of the residence. An officer instructed him to put his hands on his head, to which Sutherland allegedly said, "I called 911 and you trying to f****** arrest me?" He continued to yell at the officer as he was taken into custody.
Someone who claimed to be a longtime friend of Sutherland told police that Sutherland and his girlfriend have had "issues when they fight," the complaint said. He said he went to the address because they were fighting and had to "physically get in the middle of them and push them apart." He denied seeing Sutherland with a gun.
Sutherland's girlfriend allegedly told officers that the argument began when he told her they were no longer going to a music festival. Charges say she added he was also upset about the neighbors "being racist towards him" and she believed he was taking out his anger on her.
She had called her sister to explain the situation when she said Sutherland choked her for several seconds before slamming her phone on the kitchen counter multiple times, according to the complaint. She said Sutherland later grabbed a gun, pointed it at her, threatened to shoot her and hit her in the chest with the gun.
While executing a search warrant at the address, police located a plastic gun case sitting on top of the bed with two handguns inside. Police also recovered eight additional firearms along with ammunition and the woman's broken phone.
Police had been called to the same address earlier that same evening after a woman reported her boyfriend choked her and was trying to kick her out of the apartment.
She said she was fine and did not need help from police officers. Sutherland told police that they had a verbal disagreement and did not need the police.
Shortly after the incident, Sutherland entered a 30-day treatment program.
Court documents show Sutherland's attorney is requesting he be sentenced to 360 days in prison stayed for two years and 100 hours of community service.
Sutherland's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 13.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.