SAINT PAUL, MN — A 29-year-old Saint Paul man has been charged in connection with two commercial burglaries, including one in which he allegedly assaulted a police officer with pepper spray, according to the Saint Paul Police Department.
Jason Lionel Wayne Gatrell is accused of burglarizing The Gnome Craft Pub on Aug. 16 and attempting to break into The Lexington.
Officers responded to The Gnome Craft Pub on Aug. 16 after the business owner reported it had been broken into earlier that morning.
Police said the burglary resulted in about $1,300 in stolen cash and thousands of dollars in property damage.
The next morning, officers responded to an alarm at The Lexington and found Gatrell allegedly attempting to break into the business, police said.
As officers moved to take him into custody, Gatrell sprayed an officer in the face with pepper spray and tried to disarm the officer of a taser, according to police.
The Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged Gatrell with six counts Tuesday, including second-degree burglary and fourth-degree assault of a peace officer, police said.
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