Rochester Man Accused of Knife Threat, Assault at Gas Station

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Rochester Police arrested a man suspected of assaulting a woman and threatening a bystander with a knife at a Rochester gas station Wednesday night. 

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Police Captain Casey Moilanen said officers were dispatched to multiple reports of a man being threatened with a knife. The calls came in around 8:15 p.m. 

Officers responded to the Holiday gas station in the 1500 block of 2nd St. Southwest where they encountered a 34-year-old man who told police a subject pulled a knife on him. The man told police he saw the individual, later identified as 30-year-old Eric Danielson of Rochester, sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked car and repeatedly punching a woman who was sitting in the passenger seat, Moilanen said. 

The man said Danielson got out of the car after the man told him to stop hitting the woman and withdrew a 6-7 inch knife. Moilanen said Danielson then threatened to “gut” the man while holding the knife at arms length away from him. Danielson left the scene after the man said he was going to call the police. 

Officers later found the suspect vehicle in a cul-de-sac near Universal Marine and RV. Officers stopped the vehicle along 7th St. Northwest and found a knife matching the description given by the victim inside of the vehicle, Moilanen said. 

Officers asked the woman about the reported assault but she denied being assaulted despite officers observing her suffering from assault-related injuries, police say. 

Danielson was arrested and brought to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on suspicion of second-degree assault, threats of violence, domestic assault, fourth-degree property damage and disorderly conduct. His first court appearance has not been scheduled as of Thursday morning.