ST. PAUL, Min. – Famous chef and restauranteur Justin Sutherland was arrested Thursday at a St. Paul Spirit Halloween store after police said an officer spotted him with a woman who had a restraining order against him.
The arrest came just two days after Sutherland, 40, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of threatening violence in connection with a domestic violence-related altercation with a woman that occurred in late June.
Police say a St. Paul officer working at the Target store at University Avenue West and Hamline Avenue North recognized Sutherland and the woman.
The two left and drove down Hamline Avenue to the nearby Spirit Halloween store, police say. The officer called for backup and quickly confirmed that the restraining order was still active.
Police say officers then entered the store and arrested Sutherland for violating the court order, which is a gross misdemeanor. He was taken to the Ramsey County Jail. Early Friday morning, the jail schedule indicated he has not been released.
Sutherland’s prior arrest and criminal charges
According to the criminal complaint filed this summer in Ramsey County, Sutherland was arrested on June 28 after police were called twice to a St. Paul apartment building regarding allegations that he strangled his girlfriend and threatened her with a gun , with which he was also threatened. accused of hitting her.
She first called police to report that Sutherland had assaulted her and tried to kick her out of the apartment, but then told responding officers that their help was not needed.
Later that evening, two additional 911 calls were made by witnesses. One of them said they saw an armed man outside with a woman “who appeared to be in distress,” according to the complaint. The other witness, the woman’s sister, told police that Sutherland tried to kill his girlfriend, and during a video call she saw Sutherland grab her phone and throw it.
When officers returned, the complaint says police encountered Sutherland exiting the building. As they took him into custody, he allegedly said, “I called 911 and you’re trying to arrest me?”
WCCO
The woman told police that the fight with Sutherland started after he canceled their plans to attend a music festival. Sutherland’s friend told police he came to the apartment to de-escalate the situation. He said he didn’t see any weapons, but he had to “physically get in the middle and push them apart.”
The complaint states that officers who later executed a search warrant at the apartment found 10 firearms, ammunition and the woman’s broken phone.
According to the complaint, Sutherland entered a treatment program after the arrest.
Triumphs and tragedies
Sutherland, an Apple Valley native and graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, has seen his star rise in the food world in recent years.
He has gained fame in the Twin Cities for his ties to several restaurants, including Handsome pigPearl & the Thief, Big E and Northern Soul, the latter also being the title of his 2022 cookbook.
Sutherland also became a staple on the Food Network through his appearances on “Top Chef” and his 2018 win on “Iron Chef America.” He also hosted his own online series called ‘Taste The Culture’.
But Sutherland suffered his first major blow on July 4, 2022. While boating on the St. Croix River, Sutherland fell overboard and into the propellerwhich tore through his face and shoulder. The accident led to multiple operations.
“You know, I always thought I was living life, loving life to the fullest, and then you don’t really realize how much you really love life until you almost lose it,” Sutherland told WCCO that year.
Following his guilty plea earlier this week, Sutherland’s lawyer John Daly says he is seeking a deferred prison sentence of 360 days of two years, in addition to 100 hours of community service. He will be sentenced on December 13.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
