Fatal Minneapolis Assault Linked to Bar Dispute Weeks Prior
A Minneapolis man is facing multiple charges after an assault outside a business resulted in the death of another man.
The attack happened on Feb. 15, 2025, on the 2500 block of Lyndale Avenue South, and was reportedly the result of a prior dispute between the suspect and the victims.
Minneapolis police responded to the scene around 12:20 p.m. and found an unconscious man lying on his back in the parking lot. A second man told officers that he and the victim had been confronted by a man they recognized from a previous incident. The suspect—later identified as 42-year-old Coby Levan Richardson—allegedly threatened them before the attack.
According to the criminal complaint, Richardson told one of the men, “I will end you. I am gonna kill you,” or words to that effect, before punching him in the face. When the victim stepped back, Richardson then struck the second man, knocking him backward onto the concrete. The victim suffered severe head trauma and was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for a skull fracture and brain bleeding. He never regained consciousness and died from his injuries on Feb. 18.
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A witness at the scene, who had been sitting inside a nearby vehicle, identified Richardson as the suspect in a six-person lineup. Surveillance video from the business also corroborated the witness accounts, showing Richardson attacking both men before leaving in a vehicle.
The complaint further details a prior confrontation between Richardson and the victims. On Jan. 25, 2025, the victims had been at a bar about four blocks from the assault location when they encountered Richardson. He allegedly approached their table and demanded they buy him a drink. When they refused, he told them they should reconsider because he was a member of the Gangster Disciples from Chicago and had previously served time in federal prison. Others with Richardson reportedly made trigger-pulling motions toward the victims, causing them to feel threatened and leave.
The documents say that weeks later, the victims ran into Richardson again, leading to the fatal attack.
Richardson was arrested on Feb. 19, 2025. Investigators noted that his appearance matched the suspect in the surveillance footage. Authorities also confirmed that Richardson had served a ten-year federal prison sentence starting in 2009.
He has been charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony, first-degree manslaughter, threats of violence and fifth-degree assault. Richardson remains in custody with conditional bail set at $250,000. His conditions of release include no contact with witnesses, no use of drugs or alcohol and no possession of weapons.
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