South St. Paul Man Arrested After Unprovoked Punch Causes Brain Injury

A 31-year-old South St. Paul man was arrested May 12 after police say his unprovoked punch outside a bar ended in a brain injury for a local man. 

According to a Dakota County criminal complaint, officers charged Timothy Ryan Wolske with felony third-degree assault after witnesses say he punched an alleged victim in the face for no reason, causing him to slam his head on the cement wall of the bar. 

First response officers observed the unidentified alleged victim lying on a sidewalk unconscious in a pool of blood. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a "mild brain injury." 

Video surveillance from outside of the bar shows the alleged victim talking to Wolske. Without apparent provocation, Wolske then punched the man in the face, knocking him unconscious "immediately."

Wolske was taken into custody after officers found him hiding among industrial equipment in a nearby parking lot. 

If Wolske is found guilty of the charge against him, he could spend up to five years in prison and be ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. 

In an unrelated case, Wolske pleaded guilty to fifth-degree assault in 1999.