A 51-year-old St. Paul man was sentenced to a five-year prison term Friday for shooting a man in the leg during a firefight outside a White Bear Lake bar nearly two years ago.

Kardell Baraka Otae Jackson (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

A Ramsey County jury in June convicted Kardell Baraka Otae Jackson of second-degree assault and possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon in connection with the shooting in the parking lot of Doc’s Landing shortly before 1 a.m. Sept. 24, 2023.

Jackson and Charles Edward Stevens-Thigpen fired a total of 13 rounds at each other after getting into a “heated dispute” in the bar. One bullet grazed a 48-year-old man who was sitting in the bar.

According to court documents, Jackson and Stevens-Thigpen, 37, of St. Paul, both grabbed guns from their SUVs. Jackson fired off a shot at Stevens-Thigpen, who took cover behind a Tesla, and the two men exchanged gunfire.

Related Articles

Woman jailed in Maplewood crash that killed her 1-year-old, injured 2 other sons

Child killed in suspected drunk driving rollover crash in Maplewood Saturday night

Attorney for Nicole Mitchell requests felony conviction be reduced to misdemeanors

Mahtomedi football game canceled Friday night due to nearby law enforcement activity

Charges: MN man emailed threats of retaliation for the killing of Charlie Kirk

Stevens-Thigpen nearly shot a woman who ran toward Jackson’s Chevrolet Tahoe. Jackson helped her get into the SUV before he again shot at Stevens-Thigpen. Stevens-Thigpen “grimaced” and began to favor his right leg, the documents say.

As Jackson and the woman fled the parking lot, Stevens-Thigpen fired three to four more rounds at the Tahoe. He ran to a GMC Denali and also fled.

In February, Stevens-Thigpen was given three years’ probation after pleading guilty to second-degree assault. He had no prior felony convictions, and his attorney argued he was not the initial and primary aggressor.