Man Charged In Cowboy Jack's Stabbing
BLOOMINGTON (WCCO) -- A 39-year-old Illinois man has been charged in an argument turned stabbing at a Bloomington bar Monday, according to police.
At 11:36 p.m. on the day of the incident, Bloomington Police responded to a stabbing at Cowboy Jack's Restaurant. There, officers found the victim, a 30-year-old St. Paul resident, suffering from injury later determined to be a stab wound to the heart. The suspect had fled on foot.
The victim was taken to HCMC in critical condition where emergency surgery was successful. The victim is currently in critical, but stable, condition.
Police say the suspect, Walter Raymond Opiola, was arrested immediately after the assault in the Southtown shopping area. A weapon was later recovered along his path of escape.
An investigation determined that Opiola and the victim began arguing inside the bar. The argument continued outside near the front door and turned into a physical confrontation. Police say during the fight Opiola punched and then stabbed the victim. They did not know each other, according to police.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged Opiola with one count of first-degree assault. He is being held at the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center where his bail is set at $250,000.
