Man Acquitted in IGH Domestic Assault Speaks Out, Police Rebut Claims of Bias

Johnnie Ware is happy to be a free man after being acquitted of felony charges including domestic assault by strangulation and domestic assault Wednesday afternoon. 

"I feel that there's no sense in complaining," Ware told Patch in an email. "I count my blessings." 

Originally reported in Patch on Jan. 6, a Dakota County criminal complaint filed Dec. 29 accuses Ware of pushing his girlfriend to the ground, choking her and covering her mouth so she could not yell for help. The complaint also says he stole her cell phone and prevented her from calling a relative.

But despite a decidedly positive outcome for Ware, he does feel he was treated unfairly.  

"I feel it's very easy for a man to be viewed as guilty before the eyes of the police and general public," Ware said. "I believe that people who exaggerate domestic incidents should be punished. Such malicious slander ruins lives ... law enforcement could focus on putting away those who truly hurt others (and helping those) that are in true need for help."

Ware also told Patch he felt Inver Grove Heights (IGH) police failed to "establish the facts and evidence" and instead looked to his criminal history—which includes two prior domestic violence-related convictions—to establish cause for arrest.

"As an American citizen, I am still protected by the law and judgment made by the judicial system and not police officials," Ware said. 

In a phone call with Patch, IGH Police Chief Larry Stanger vehemently denied Ware's claims.

"Mr. Ware was arrested on probable cause domestic assault by strangulation—a felony—and fifth-degree domestic assault (a misdemeanor)," Stanger said. "It was only after he was arrested that they looked into his criminal history and found out he had previous convictions for domestic assault. That raised the domestic assault from  a misdemeanor to a felony."

Stanger also spoke at length about how IGH police built its probable cause and why Ware was ultimately arrested. 

"To start out, there was a 911 call from a third party who told us about a domestic assault in progress," Stanger said. "There were victim statements we took into account; there were observations by the officers that were taken into account; and there is the fact that he ran and was hiding from police. That built our probable cause to arrest him on the felony charge." 

Ware concluded his statement by thanking "My Lord Jesus Christ" and his attorney Pao Yang.