From staff reports
A 44-year-old Rochester man was cut in the hand when customers and the manager at a local bar intervened to allegedly keep him from attacking a man.
Capt. Jim Pittenger said the incident occurred at the Smiling Moose, 1829 N. U.S. 52, shortly before 1 a.m. Monday.
Pittenger said the victim, a 30-year-old Rochester man of Iranian descent, told police the suspect came up and began asking about his ethnicity and saying he didn't like him because of it.
Pittenger said the manager and two customers intervened and tried to get the suspect to leave. Pittenger said they thought they noticed the suspect had a knife in his hand, holding it behind his back. Pittenger said the suspect suffered a "significant" cut to his left hand from an open pocket knife he was holding.
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He was taken to Saint Marys Hospital for treatment and now is in the Olmsted County jail. Pittenger said he is expected to be charged with fourth-degree bias-motivated assault and making terroristic threats, both felonies, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
