A routine afternoon at a beloved Minneapolis neighborhood coffee shop turned deadly last month when what investigators say began as a vehicle break-in escalated into deadly violence during the theft of a backpack. Amos Ferrier, a 38-year-old Army veteran and community fixture, ran outside Rick’s Coffee Shop on May 15 to stop someone stealing from his car, and he never recovered from what happened next.
Ferrier had been inside the shop on the 5400 block of Third Avenue South when he spotted someone rifling through his vehicle. He did what many of us might instinctively do: he ran out to stop it. That decision put him in the path of a driver who, rather than flee, drove at him, sending Ferrier onto the hood of the car. Witnesses watched in horror as the driver swerved back and forth trying to shake him off. Ferrier was thrown from the vehicle, suffering a severe head injury that would ultimately prove fatal.
Now, a St. Paul couple is facing criminal charges in connection with the incident. Janaya and Jordan Frost have each been charged with aiding an offender in Hennepin County. Janaya faces an additional count of aiding an offender to avoid arrest. A third person, believed to be the driver of the vehicle, has not yet been identified or charged, though investigators say that process is ongoing.
Part of what has made Ferrier’s death resonate so deeply in the community is who he was. He was not just a coffee shop employee. He was a 15-year U.S. Army medic, the internship director for the nonprofit Every Third Saturday, which operates Rick’s Coffee Shop, and by all accounts a person who showed up for others every single day. Every Third Saturday later described Ferrier as a decorated Army medic credited with saving multiple lives during his service in Afghanistan. His death has left a hole in a neighborhood that clearly loved him.
What the Charges Actually Say
According to the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County, Janaya and Jordan Frost were dropped off in front of Rick’s Coffee Shop by a driver who then waited nearby in a Chevrolet. Janaya went inside the coffee shop, while Jordan allegedly went to Ferrier’s parked vehicle, opened it, and stole a backpack.
When Ferrier ran out to intervene, Jordan returned to the Chevrolet with the stolen bag. The driver then accelerated toward Ferrier, causing him to land on the hood. After swerving aggressively to throw him off the vehicle, the driver fled the scene, stopping a few blocks away. That stop was long enough for Jordan Frost to dump the backpack’s contents and for Janaya, who had exited the shop by then, to get into the car.
Investigators connected the Frosts to the crime through cellphone data, surveillance footage, and prior police contacts that linked the vehicle’s owner to Janaya Frost. Two people who met up with the trio after the incident also confirmed all three had been in the Chevrolet together. None of the three reported Ferrier’s injuries to law enforcement.
Authorities say the 19-year-old woman believed to have been driving the Chevrolet remains in custody, though charges against her have not yet been filed as prosecutors continue building the case. Jail records show Janaya Frost was released from custody on May 23, while Jordan Frost was charged via warrant and remains at large as of this writing.
Who Was Amos Ferrier?
Before this story becomes just another crime statistic, it is worth pausing on the person at the center of it. Amos Ferrier spent 15 years serving in the U.S. Army as a medic, which means he chose a career built around running toward people who needed help. That instinct clearly stayed with him after his military service.
At Rick’s Coffee Shop, he served as the internship director for Every Third Saturday, a nonprofit organization that runs the shop and focuses on community development and economic opportunity. The shop sits on the same block as the nonprofit’s broader operations, making it a genuine hub of local impact rather than just a place to grab a latte.
The fact that Ferrier ran outside to stop a theft, on the same block where he worked to build up his community, says everything about the kind of person he was.
Every Third Saturday has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support Ferrier’s two sons, Liam and Elliot, following his death.
Ferrier’s Community Responds With Forgiveness and a Call for Justice
In the aftermath, Tom McKenna, co-founder of Every Third Saturday, shared a message that stopped a lot of people in their tracks. Despite the grief, McKenna said Ferrier’s family and the organization had chosen forgiveness. “We’ve talked with the family and we all feel strongly that we forgive the people that did this,” McKenna said, while also making clear that forgiveness does not mean looking away. “We want them brought to justice and they need to be held accountable for what they did.”
That combination of grace and accountability is not easy to hold at the same time, especially in the immediate wake of a tragedy. It reflects the values of a community that is clearly grieving but not consumed by anger.
What We Can Learn From This Incident
There is a painful lesson embedded in this story, and it is one that law enforcement and community safety advocates repeat often: confrontations involving thefts, fleeing suspects, and moving vehicles can become deadly in seconds.
That reality does not diminish Amos Ferrier or the instinct he had to protect what was his and intervene on behalf of his community. In many ways, it reflects exactly the kind of person he was. But investigators allege what began as the theft of a backpack escalated into fatal violence almost instantly.
The harsh reality is that you simply do not know how far another person is willing to go to avoid getting caught. What may begin as a property crime can quickly turn into something far more dangerous, especially when multiple suspects and a moving vehicle are involved.
Even trained law enforcement officers often wait for backup when confronting multiple suspects because situations like these are unpredictable and can spiral out of control very quickly.
Ferrier’s death is a tragic reminder that property can be replaced. People cannot.
The driver investigators say was behind the wheel that day still has not been identified. Hennepin County authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues. What prosecutors allege began as the theft of a backpack ended with the death of a veteran and community leader, and investigators say not everyone responsible has been held accountable.
Update: This story has been updated to include newly available booking information for Janaya Samiah Frost, additional background from Every Third Saturday about Amos Ferrier’s military service, and a GoFundMe campaign supporting Ferrier’s two sons.