Brooklyn Park man killed in shooting outside Midway Saloon

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The St. Paul Police Department has identified a man who was fatally shot outside Midway Saloon last Thursday morning.

What we know:

Authorities say the victim is 43-year-old Jeffrey S. Matson of Brooklyn Park.

Shooting outside Midway Saloon

The backstory:

St. Paul police responded to a report of a shooting at about 12:10 a.m. last Thursday on the 1500 block of University Avenue. When officers arrived, they located both the alleged shooter and Matson outside. Matson was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the torso. He died a short time later.

Midway Saloon bouncer charged

Dig deeper:

A 29-year-old man who was a bouncer at Midway Saloon was charged last Friday in connection with the incident. Authorities identified him as Davarius Lamonte Clark.

According to charges in the case, Clark is accused of getting into a verbal altercation with a patron inside the bar "who was being disrespectful." Clark told another employee that the patron spit on him three times after the two got into an argument over him bringing a bike into the bar.

The bar manager told the patron he could have the bike inside, but Clark argued with the patron over it. A co-worker then heard a "pop" as Clark went outside.

Clark had a permit to carry a gun, but the bar owner wasn't aware he had one, and said he didn't employ armed security.

Caught on camera:

The shooting was caught on video surveillance. Police say the video shows the victim walking out of the bar with his bike and arguing with Clark, who was already outside. Clark then goes back into the bar while the victim stays outside. When Clark returns, he has a gun in his hand. At that point, police say the patron spits on Clark twice and Clark shoots the man.

Clark told officers that the gun belonged to him, adding: "I wouldn't have shot someone for no reason, but do what you gotta do."