Watch Shootout Erupt Between Minn. Deputies, Homicide Suspect

By Tom Olsen

Source Duluth News Tribune, Minn.

DULUTH, MN — A driver killed in a shootout with sheriff's deputies on Tuesday night is believed to be the same man responsible for a homicide just six hours earlier.

St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay and Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa confirmed the suspected connection between the two incidents, which initially appeared unrelated.

"That is what we believe at this time," Ceynowa said at a joint news conference Wednesday. "However, further investigation is needed to confirm that, to include some analysis of evidence located at both scenes by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's firearms unit."

Police identified the homicide victim as Darrius Handy, 33, of Duluth. The shooting was reported around 3:40 p.m. on the 400 block of Piedmont Avenue, adjacent to U.S. Highway 53. He was pronounced dead at the scene from apparent gunshot wounds.

Handy's SUV was seen resting against a wall on the elevated roadway as investigators processed the scene. The driver's side window was shattered. Ceynowa confirmed Handy had been driving when he was shot, and that he was still inside the vehicle when officers arrived.

"The suspect vehicle shot towards the victim vehicle while they were stopped at the stop sign," the chief said.

The second incident started at 9:40 p.m., when Ramsay reported a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle he saw driving recklessly along Grand Avenue near 58th Avenue West.

The deputy immediately turned on his lights, but the vehicle sped away. A pursuit ensued, leading down some side streets, then turning back onto Grand Avenue. A second sheriff's deputy then performed a tactical maneuver, spinning the vehicle out, near 79th Avenue West.

Ramsay said the suspect and both deputies exchanged gunfire. The driver was struck, and first aid was rendered, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The deputies were not injured, and no one else was in the car.

"I'm very thankful the deputies weren't hit by the gunfire," the sheriff said. "Very fortunate."

The identities of the suspect and the two deputies are expected to be released at a later time by the BCA. Both deputies were placed on standard administrative leave.

Ramsay indicated the deputy was attempting to make a routine stop based on what he saw and did not have any reason to believe the driver was related to the earlier homicide. Ceynowa added that it was a different vehicle that had been used in the Lincoln Park shooting.

The officials said they believe Handy and the suspect were known to each other, but their exact relationship isn't entirely clear. Both men had been involved in some prior cases together, Ceynowa said.

Ramsay said the suspect did not have a permit to carry his firearm, which was recovered from the driver's seat area, and he was prohibited from possessing guns due to prior felony convictions.

Handy, too, had several prior convictions related to guns and assault.

In 2017, he admitted to shooting a 28-year-old man inside a downtown Duluth liquor store.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree assault just eight days after he was charged and received a three-year prison term.

He was also charged in Douglas County last year with shooting at an occupied vehicle outside Lady Vi's in Superior.

However, most of the charges were later dismissed, and he pleaded no contest in September to a felony count of bail jumping.

While seemingly involving a personal dispute between two people, officials acknowledged the concerns about gunfire erupting in two high-traffic areas.

"Gun violence of any kind is unacceptable in our community," Mayor Roger Reinert said. "Our public safety team works hard on a daily basis to do everything possible to protect the wellbeing and safety of all who call Duluth home.

"But this can't be something we simply outsource to police, fire and other safety professionals. It has to be a community expectation and community norm."

Jason Amundsen, of Wrenshall, told the News Tribune he exited Interstate 35 onto westbound Grand Avenue near 61st Avenue West when he wound up in the middle of the pursuit.

"That car was just screaming past me," he recalled, "and there was law enforcement following."

Amundsen said the suspect eventually took a right turn onto a side street, with squad cars giving chase. He continued on, only for the suspect to reemerge moments later behind his car on Grand Avenue.

After they passed him again, Amundsen said he saw the vehicles come to a stop up ahead, just past the Lake Superior Zoo, where the deputy executed the maneuver.

Amundsen said he stopped about 80 yards away "because I didn't want to get anywhere near it." He didn't directly witness the shooting, but heard what he instantly recognized as gunshots, and likened the situation to being in a movie.

"I spent nine years in the Army," he said. "I shoot guns out on my farm. This is gunfire."

While not witness to the entire course of events, Amundsen stressed that everything he did witness indicated the deputies acted appropriately in response to a serious threat to public safety.

"I feel bad for everyone," he said. "I feel empathy for everyone, in particular for the sheriff's deputies who had to do this. If this person just pulled over and did what they were told, none of this would've had to happen."

The sheriff's office requested that the BCA conduct the investigation "to avoid any conflicts and ensure transparency." Ramsay said the incident was captured on both squad car and body camera footage.

Once completed, the BCA will turn over its reports to the St. Louis County Attorney's Office for review.

Handy's death was the first reported homicide in the city this year. Duluth saw five last year, including three involving gun violence. But Ceynowa said violent crime overall has been trending downward since a peak around 2022-2023.

He asked for patience for the BCA to complete its work, as "investigations take time and develop at their own pace."

"We will issue a release at the conclusion of our preliminary investigation," BCA spokesman Mike Ernster said in an email. "Typically, that usually occurs within a week or so of the incident."

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