A St. Paul firefighter is heading to trial next week accused of assaulting a boy at a gas station last April.

The man allegedly sprayed cleaning solution in the boy's face.

A St. Paul firefighter is on paid administrative leave Thursday after being charged with a couple misdemeanors for an alleged dust-up with a young child nearly a year ago.

The case is scheduled for trial next week, with a bottle of cleaning solution at the heart of what happened.

The confrontation occurred inside what is now Speedway on St. Paul’s popular Grand Avenue last April. At the time, it was Super America. A convenience store surveillance camera appeared to capture the incident, which has been provided to FOX 9 by the mother of the alleged young victim.

According to prosecutors, the mom stepped into the restroom leaving her two kids right outside. Her son, an 8 year-old, picked up a spray bottle containing a glass and surface cleaner. At some point, he sprays off-duty St. Paul firefighter Kevin Lagos on the back of his shirt and neck as Lagos checks a lotto ticket on his way to dinner.


According to the criminal complaint, Lagos reacts by confronting the youngster.

The complaint adds the suspect then “grabbed the victim by the collar and sprayed the victim directly in the face” with the cleaning solution.

It’s impossible to tell exactly what happened in the video, but it does show the child apparently struggling with his hands to his face. Prosecutors contend some of the cleaner got into the child’s eyes.

Medics were called to the scene, however, the mother said she would bring the child to the hospital herself.

Lagos’ defense attorney told FOX 9 he denies ever spraying the child or hurting the kid in any way.

The Minneapolis city attorney’s office is prosecuting the case because of a potential conflict of interest with Lagos being a St. Paul firefighter. He’s charged with 5th degree assault and disorderly conduct.