Maple Grove Police Execute High-Risk Warrant in Inver Grove Heights; Court Records Detail November Benihana Shooting
Published: December 24, 2025
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS & MAPLE GROVE, MINNESOTA - A suspect wanted in connection with a November shooting at the Maple Grove Benihana was taken into custody Tuesday, December 23, 2025, during a high-risk warrant operation in Inver Grove Heights involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
According to statements from both the Inver Grove Heights Police Department and Maple Grove Police Department, officers assisted the Maple Grove Police Department and the South Metro SWAT Team in executing a search warrant in the 1400 block of 80th Street on December 23, 2025. The operation was conducted to apprehend a suspect wanted on a violent felony assault charge stemming from the November shooting at Benihana in Maple Grove. Authorities emphasized that the warrant execution did not involve any federal law enforcement agencies.
The suspect was taken into custody without incident and later identified as 31-year-old Deontae Creshaun Allen Coney of Brooklyn Park. He is currently being held in the Hennepin County Jail on $250,000 bail.
The Maple Grove Police Department credited multiple agencies for their assistance in the investigation and arrest, including the Anoka-Hennepin Narcotic and Violent Crimes Task Force, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigators, South Metro SWAT, and Inver Grove Heights Police Department.
Court Documents Detail Shooting Inside Maple Grove Restaurant
The warrant and criminal complaint, filed on December 9, 2025, in the Hennepin County District Court, provide additional details about the incident that led to Coney’s arrest. According to the criminal complaint, Coney is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony, under Minnesota statute, for a shooting that occurred on November 14, 2025, inside the Benihana located in the 11800 block of Fountains Drive in Maple Grove.
Police were dispatched to the restaurant at approximately 4:32 p.m. after reports that a man had been shot inside the building. By the time officers arrived, both the shooter and the victim had fled the scene in separate vehicles. Numerous witnesses, including families with children, remained inside the restaurant following the shooting.
The victim later arrived at a hospital by private vehicle and was treated for a gunshot wound that entered his left groin and exited through his right buttock. The injury was determined to be non-life-threatening, and the victim was later released. Investigators determined the incident was not random, saying there was no threat to the general public.
Surveillance, Witnesses, and Investigation
Court documents state that surveillance video showed the suspect and the victim seated in different areas of the restaurant before a verbal altercation near the entryway separating the dining and bar areas.
During the confrontation, the victim pushed the suspect away. The suspect re-approached, briefly walked away, then returned carrying a distinctive crossbody bag. Video shows an associate raising his hands and backing away moments before the suspect raised his arm and fired a handgun at approximately 4:31:48 p.m. The victim immediately collapsed as patrons fled for cover.
Investigators say the suspect did not render aid, showed no visible concern for the victim, and exited the restaurant. He briefly re-entered, passed the wounded victim again, then left the scene with an adult female, four children, and another adult male in a white Jeep Wagoneer.
Police recovered a 9mm cartridge casing, a fired bullet, surveillance video, and other evidence from the scene.
Evidence Linking Suspect
Investigators later tracked the suspect vehicle to Brooklyn Park, where they executed search warrants at a residence linked to Coney. Inside, officers located paperwork and prescription medication bearing his name, firearms-related items, magazines, surveillance equipment, and the suspect vehicle. Forensic testing remains pending.
A photo lineup was later administered to a key witness, who positively identified Coney as the shooter, according to the complaint. Investigators also reviewed social media activity indicating Coney searched for the victim and the victim’s family members shortly after the shooting, information that had not been publicly released.
Court Appearance Scheduled
Following his arrest, Coney is scheduled to make his first court appearance at 1:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, December 24, 2025.
Additional details may be released as court proceedings continue.
Deontae Creshaun Allen Coney provided by the Hennenpin County Jail.
Written by: Will Wight
