On the evening of March 24, 2021, a trip to a Minneapolis convenience store turned fatal for Ryan Kane Decker, a 46-year-old White male from St. Cloud. Decker was in the city to help a friend with a move, and they had stopped at the Stop N Shop on East Lake Street for a soda. Events quickly escalated following a minor incident inside the store, leading to a confrontation that would end his life.
Inside the gas station, a security guard informed Decker he needed to wear a mask.
As Decker turned to leave, he made slight physical contact with another customer, 33-year-old Chaz Eric Stubblefield. According to court documents, Stubblefield punched Decker in the back, sparking a verbal argument. Stubblefield later claimed to police that Decker had used a racial slur against him during this exchange. However, Decker's friend, who was present at the scene, stated that he denied using the slur.
The argument spilled out into the parking lot. As Decker was getting into the passenger side of a car, Stubblefield confronted him again. Surveillance video and witness accounts detailed that Stubblefield spat in Decker's face. Decker responded by throwing a punch towards Stubblefield, who then pulled out a gun and fired a single shot, striking Decker in the head. Officers arrived to find Decker in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to his right eye. He was rushed to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on March 25, 2021.
Chaz Eric Stubblefield was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. In an interview with police, he admitted to shooting Decker and told them he had thrown the gun into a river afterward. In September 2021, Stubblefield pleaded guilty to the murder of Ryan Decker.
