During a week that didn’t need any more bad news, the Minnesota State Fair concluded without any shootings.
There were, however, several fights and disturbances that broke out, mostly in the evening hours on some nights, according to State Fair police dispatch audio, among the usual fence jumpers and lost-and-found children.
Crime Watch Minneapolis posted about several incidents throughout the course of the fair, including a reported robbery of a vendor on the first Saturday of the fair. The vendor was reportedly knocked off a bicycle and their money bag was stolen by two suspects who fled on foot, according to dispatch audio. No official statement was released by State Fair Police, and the amount of the loss was not immediately available.
Crime Watch also obtained a few video clips of several assault and fight incidents that occurred this past Sunday evening, when there were also reports of pepper spray being deployed and a “stampede” out of the Midway. One clip showed law enforcement taking one suspect to the ground.
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More videos from the vibrant Great Minnesota Get Together at the State Fair.#MNstatefair pic.twitter.com/cq1Fg4B0qD— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) August 31, 2025
On Monday evening, the final night of the Fair, there were several reports of groups engaging in gang sign taunts and suspicious activity.
At least a handful of arrests were made on different days, including for reports of assaults on law enforcement.
A protest outside the main gate briefly put the gate into lockdown and halted buses this past Saturday afternoon, but the incident was quickly cleared.
On Tuesday last week, a male who was reported as being disorderly in front of the Republican booth was ultimately arrested after a tangle with Ramsey County Undersheriff Mike Martin while being asked to leave.
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Arrest video of the TDS clown at the Minnesota State Fair who was reportedly being disorderly in front of the Republican booth and refused to leave.#MNstatefair pic.twitter.com/QwaLN7h4aE— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) August 26, 2025
Daniel Alan Ignatowicz, 62, of St. Louis Park was subsequently charged with one gross misdemeanor count of obstructing the legal process, and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. Ignatowicz was released on his own recognizance on Thursday following his initial court appearance and was geographically trespassed from the fairgrounds by the presiding judge.
Over 1.9 million people attended the Fair this year, according to the Fair’s X account.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
