Man who pulled gun on teens at Eden Prairie McDonald's pleads guilty
Lloyd Edward Johnson, 55, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota is charged with a felony for making terroristic threats and a gross misdeamnor for carrying a pistol without a permit. (Photo credit: Hennepin County Jail)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - An Eden Prairie man pleaded guilty Thursday after pulling out a pistol in an argument with a group of teenagers at a McDonald’s in November.
Lloyd Johnson, 55, of Eden Prairie will be sentenced in April, where the Hennepin County Attorney says he will likely receive a stay of imposition, meaning he will be on probation for three years.
He could serve up to 90 days in the county workhouse and be banned from possessing a gun for the rest of his life.
He will not face the second charge of carrying a pistol without a permit, however.
Johnson admitted that he pulled the semi-automatic handgun from his pocket in the McDonald’s argument and told the court he was not making a self-defense claim.
“We are pleased that Mr. Johnson is taking responsibility for his outrageous behavior,” Freeman said. “Because he has no criminal record, probation is the recommended sentence. Perhaps the best part of the sentence is he can no longer possess a gun, which means we will all be safer.”
What happened
Johnson was initially charged with making terroristic threats, a felony and carrying a pistol without a permit, a gross misdemeanor.
On Nov. 19, officers responded to the McDonald’s on Prairie Center Drive. According to the criminal complaint, police spoke to two 17-year-old girls who said they were trying to use a digital app to purchase their food, but it was not working.
Johnson was in line behind the girls and started complaining, telling them to hurry up. He reportedly said, “You were probably trying to pay with EBT.” One of the girls turned around and confronted him about his statement.
Johnson then approached one of the girls and got in her face, the charges say. The victim said he balled his fist and she was afraid he was going to hit her.
The girls went to the dining room area to ask for help from other friends that were in the restaurant. The friends confronted Johnson, who walked away from the group, but then returned with his cell phone and appeared to be recording the argument.
One of the girls reported that Johnson yelled at everyone to back up before pulling a handgun from his waistband and leaving the restaurant.
McDonald’s surveillance footage and cell phone video showed Johnson pulling a gun out of his jacket pocket.
In an interview with police, Johnson said he felt threatened by the group and pulled his handgun out so he could leave the restaurant. He admitted to making a statement about one of the girls using an EBT card and that is was insulting. He also admitted he did not have a permit to carry a firearm.
Officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun from Johnson’s car. The gun had a magazine loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, but did not have a round in the chamber.