A 29-year-old Fridley woman is facing a felony charge after a tattoo shop employee in Saint Paul told police she pointed a loaded handgun at him when he tried to get her to leave. Alexzia Channel Shobe was charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon following an October 28 confrontation that ended with the employee wrestling the gun away from her and pinning her to the floor.
According to a criminal complaint filed October 30 and detailed by MN Crime, Shobe had arrived at the shop for a tattoo appointment with another employee. The worker who ultimately confronted her told police she smelled of alcohol and entered the business's closed front area, then refused repeated requests to leave after being told it was too late to start her appointment.
Police were called to the shop at around 8:45 p.m. that night and found a woman outside matching the employee's description, later identifying her as Shobe, per the complaint. The case is now in the hands of Ramsey County District Court.
Employee Says He Was Forced to Disarm Her
Per the complaint's account, the employee attempted to escort Shobe out of the shop when she pointed a handgun at him. The document states he managed to grab the weapon away from her when she briefly looked away, then wrestled her to the floor, pushed her out the front door, and called police. Officers who responded recovered and photographed the handgun at the scene, and the complaint says it was loaded with a live round in the chamber. The same account notes Shobe did not have a permit to carry the firearm.
Shobe's Account During Questioning
During a Mirandized interview, Shobe confirmed she had come to the shop for a tattoo, the complaint states. She said she pulled out the gun to defend herself but did not remember pointing it at the employee, and separately claimed during questioning that she only drew the weapon after he assaulted her first. She also told investigators she believed the man inside the shop wanted to assault her and was insecure about his manhood, and said she did not believe in turning her back on someone she viewed as assaultive.
The dossier does not resolve the conflicting accounts of who escalated the confrontation first, and no further corroborating police statement or charging document beyond the complaint's account has been made available.
What the Charge Carries
Second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon is governed by Minnesota Statutes section 609.222, which allows for a sentence of up to seven years in prison, a fine of up to $14,000, or both. That figure represents the statutory maximum penalty under state law, not a prediction of what sentence, if any, Shobe might ultimately face. Ramsey County, which encompasses Saint Paul, is served by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, and felony cases like this one are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul.
