Rochester Man Imprisoned For Shooting Admits to Witness Tampering
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man who was recently sent to prison for a shooting that occurred five years ago has been convicted of additional related charges.
43-year-old Abdusalam Omar Hussein was handed a five year prison sentence in August after an Olmsted County judge found him guilty of two counts of second-degree assault and illegal possession of a firearm. Those charges stemmed from a shooting in November 2019 that left the victim with multiple gunshot wounds in his leg.
READ MORE: Long Delayed Conviction Sends Rochester Man to Prison
According to the criminal complaint in that case, the victim told police he was sleeping when Hussein entered his unlocked apartment. He stated that Hussein began by kicking him and waving a gun around before he opened fire, sending five bullets into the man's leg.
Court records indicate Hussein was later arrested following a vehicle crash on Highway 52 north of Rochester. While he was being pursued, Hussein phoned 911 and told the dispatcher that he was not going to stop and was willing to shoot at officers.
The criminal complaint says Hussein later told police the vehicle he was driving was stolen. He also admitted to the shooting, which he blamed on being disrespected at an earlier party. The prosecution of this case was delayed for years, mainly due to the COVID pandemic.
Hussein was also charged with witness tampering and terroristic threats involving allegations that he threatened to kill the shooting victim and his mother in an effort to deter the man from testifying against him. Those incidents were reported to police in 2021.
READ MORE: Rochester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill Shooting Victim
Another criminal complaint was brought against Hussein earlier this year. He was accused of harassing customers at a convenience store on North Broadway on the night of May 26. An employee of the store told police that Hussein threatened to kill him when he went to assist a woman after witnessing her being harassed.
In that case, he was charged with a felony count of threats of violence, and misdemeanor charges of obstructing the legal process and disorderly conduct.
Under the terms of a plea agreement worked out with Hussein late last week, he has entered guilty pleas to the felony threats charge connected to the May incident, and the charge of witness tampering for threatening the victim of the 2019 shooting. The Olmsted County Attorney's Office indicated it will be recommending consecutive sentences totaling an additional 30 months in prison for Hussein.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled in January.
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