Prosecutors toss case against man charged with aiming gun at sister in Edina hospital room

Hennepin County prosecutors are citing self-defense in their decision to dismiss a felony case against a man who police said grabbed his sister’s gun and threatened to shoot her while they argued in their mother’s Edina hospital room.

Larry Sharp, 65, of Independence had been charged in Hennepin County District Court with threats of violence, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of domestic assault in connection with the incident at M Health Fairview Southdale on April 22.

The hospital briefly went on lockdown as heavily armed law enforcement moved in.

“Based on the evidence discovered during the ongoing investigation following initial charges, the state cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed,” read the filing submitted last week by County Attorney Mary Moriarty and an assistant county attorney.

A statement from Moriarty’s office explained that “continued investigative efforts after Mr. Sharp was initially charged revealed that he did not bring the gun on the premises and was acting in self-defense when he disarmed his sister. In light of this new evidence, felony charges could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

“In agreement with the Edina Police Department, we determined dismissal to be the appropriate course of action,” according to the statement.

Sharp’s attorney, Eric Nelson, said Monday that his client “was attacked by his sister and disarmed her after she attacked him and tried to pull her gun on him. He rendered the gun safe by dropping the [magazine] and cleared the round from the chamber and left it on the nurse’s station.”

However, the office’s statement continued, “the Edina Police Department has forwarded the case to the Edina City Attorney’s Office for any additional review of non-felony offenses.”

After his arrest, the charges read, Sharp told law enforcement he decided to “disarm [his sister] for safety reasons.” He added that he fled from the hospital “to get ahead of this,” the charges continued. Police arrested him at his home that same day.

“An argument ensued [between the siblings] regarding power of attorney for their mother,” a court filing read. During the argument, the sister said, Sharp punched her several times in the head and shoved her into a chair.

She said he took her gun from her waistband, pointed it at her and threatened to shoot her. Sharp left the room without firing a shot and put her gun on a table outside the room, the charges said.