First conviction reached in watery Pedal Pub ambush in Minneapolis

Of the six people charged, one now stands convicted of the ambush of Pedal Pub riders with water balloons and high-velocity squirt guns in Minneapolis, a roving outburst that touched off a debate about the rolling drinking parties on the downtown social scene.

John D. Rock Jr., 25, of Shakopee, pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, was fined $300, ordered to pay restitution of $395 to the Pedal Pub proprietor. He also has a stayed 45-day jail sentence for one year.

"It was a dumb mistake intended for fun, and the rest of the world thought otherwise," Rock said Wednesday.

City Attorney Susan Segal said that Rock's plea represents "a satisfactory resolution of this case, particularly since it includes restitution for financial losses."

Lisa Staplin, a Pedal Pub manager, said she sees the cases as "a great object lesson" for the rest of the public.

The city attorney's office dropped misdemeanor charges against four of the remaining five for what it said was a lack of evidence.

That leaves unresolved the case against 31-year-old Ryan M.P. Barth, of Pine City, Minn., the city attorney's office said Wednesday. Barth, charged with three misdemeanors, missed a July 23 court date, prompting a warrant for his arrest.

The six men were accused of throwing water balloons and shooting squirt guns at mobile pub passengers during a series of bicycle attacks in downtown Minneapolis on May 23. On the third foray, the targeted patrons just happened to be off-duty Burnsville police officers, who chased the perpetrators and held them until Minneapolis police arrived.

The case against Rock was strengthened, according to the criminal complaint, because Pedal Pub driver Destiny Hayden snapped a photo that showed Rock sporting a large water gun strapped to his hip.

The Pedal Pub clashes unleashed a spirited debate on social media and talk radio in the Twin Cities and elsewhere in the country about the very existence of the slow-moving carts, whose drinkers power the vehicles by pedaling along the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Proprietors and customers see them as harmless fun, while detractors lament the mobile party atmosphere and noise.

No longer charged in the incidents are Francis W. Bellanger, 26, of Minneapolis; Jason L. Carlton, 42, of Minneapolis; Mark W. Dean, 31, of St. Paul; and Kurtis W. Johnson, 31, of Inver Grove Heights.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482