Bullets flew in St. Paul's Merriam Park neighborhood over the weekend. The outcome: a 21-year-old man shot and critically wounded by police, a University of St. Thomas student grazed by a bullet while in a home, and another house peppered with bullets as young children slept inside.
Deshawn Dominique Nelson, 21, remained in critical condition at Regions Hospital on Monday. Yolanda Phelps, his mother, said a nurse told her that Nelson had been shot seven times in the front of his body, including his face, chest, hand, thigh and ankle. She said she was told a shot grazed the top of his hairline.
The Ramsey County attorney's office charged Nelson, of Minneapolis, with second-degree assault Monday. St. Paul police Sgt. Jeremy Ryan said he shot Nelson when the man pointed a handgun at him and it appeared he was going to try to kill him, according to the criminal complaint.
Earlier Monday, before he was charged, Phelps said of her son, "He's never been in jail; he's always been a good kid. He's never been in trouble with the law." Minnesota court records show no criminal history for Nelson.
Police initially said the incident began Sunday when a sergeant was responding to a report of a church burglary, but clarified Monday that the burglary report was at Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, a clubhouse for the deaf at 1824 Marshall Ave.
Ryan was at the Marshall Avenue address about 4:10 a.m., investigating the burglary, when he heard what he believed were about five gunshots coming from the northwest, the complaint said. He went to his squad car and drove in the alley with his lights off.
Ryan turned north on Dewey Street, saw a sport-utility vehicle and turned on his headlights. The "driver and front-seat passenger turned and appeared surprised by Sgt. Ryan's presence," the complaint said. When he turned on his emergency lights, the SUV fled.
Ryan turned on his siren and followed it on Marshall Avenue to Wheeler Street.
"The SUV hit its brakes hard as it came to the alley south of Marshall Avenue," the complaint said. Ryan saw the passenger door open, and a man, later identified as Nelson, "exited carrying a 'big handgun' in his right hand," the complaint said. Nelson fled in the alley, and Ryan unholstered his gun.
Nelson then turned and pointed his gun at Ryan. "Ryan thought Nelson was going to kill him since he was stuck in his squad car," the complaint said. Ryan fired and hit Nelson. He saw Nelson flinch and thought, "Why isn't he going down?," the complaint said.
Nelson ran, went over a fence and fell. Ryan got out of his car, reloaded and chased Nelson, who still had the gun in his hand, the complaint said.
"Ryan yelled to Nelson, 'Drop the gun! Drop the gun! Police! Drop the gun!," the complaint said. Nelson ran by the side of a home in the 1700 block of Dayton Avenue and went over another fence. Nelson turned toward Ryan again and began to raise his gun. Ryan fired and struck Nelson, who "went down hard," the complaint said.
"Ryan yelled at Nelson to show his hands, but Nelson got up again," the complaint said. "Sgt. Ryan thought Nelson may have been wearing body armor because being shot wasn't affecting him."
Nelson staggered away, and Ryan took cover by the house. "Nelson turned again and Sgt. Ryan, believing Nelson was going to shoot him, fired on Nelson a third time."
Nelson fell in a boulevard, and Ryan radioed for medical attention for him.
Ryan approached Nelson and saw his hands were empty, the complaint said. Paramedics brought Nelson to the hospital and Ryan walked back through the scene to show others where he fired upon Nelson. A silver Ruger P94 handgun was found.
A neighbor who heard sirens and then gunfire told officers that he grabbed his shotgun, went outside and saw Ryan with his gun drawn and standing over Nelson, the complaint said. Ryan asked the man to watch his back until other officers arrived, fearing the SUV might return, the complaint said.
Nelson told police that he'd fled from the vehicle because he thought he had warrants for not paying for his train fares in Minneapolis. He denied having a gun, saying he had a phone when he fled the vehicle. He wasn't wearing any body armor, police spokesman Howie Padilla said.
The complaint didn't spell out whether Nelson fired his gun. Asked whether the man had, Padilla said, "Everything's still under investigation."
Brian Dalton woke up to his Dayton Avenue house shaking with what he soon found were bullets. His wife also was woken up. They kept their children, ages 1 and 3, upstairs and away from the commotion, Dalton said.
Dalton found a bullet had entered the back wall of his home's first floor, went through another wall and into his living room. Three other bullets had struck the back corner of his home, and he found an additional three bullets had hit his detached garage, Dalton said.
"I was just shocked how much damage it could do and just curious what the circumstances were," Dalton said. "I'm a pretty fair person and I kind of see it from both ways. I know police have tactics and protocol, but I also have (bullet) holes in my house and I'm wondering what the procedure is in a residential area for shooting."
Police understand that residents have concerns, Padilla said.
"Obviously, officers don't come to work hoping to put themselves or others in the way of harm," he said. "They would rather not be in situations in which they use their duty firearm."
Neighbor Bill Bobick had been sleeping on the couch in his living room when he woke up to three rounds of shots rapidly fired -- he said there were four to six shots each time. In between the shots, Bobick said, he heard yelling -- "Get on the ground!" and "Put your hands up."
"They were shouting, but I don't think he was listening," Bobick said.
A bullet grazed a St. Thomas junior's wrist inside a home across the street from Bobick's home. Investigators are working to determine from where that bullet came, police have said.
"The 20-year-old student said he was watching television about 4 a.m. on the main floor of a rental house ... when he heard a 'pop,' " according to a posting the university has on its website. "He noticed his left wrist was bleeding and he ran upstairs to tell his roommates to call 911. The bullet came into the house from outside, grazed his wrist and entered his Gatorade bottle. Fire Department paramedics ... treated the wound."
The SUV that fled the scene was found empty in Northeast Minneapolis about 8:45 a.m. Sunday, police there said.
Nelson's mother said she doesn't know what he would have been doing in St. Paul on Sunday morning -- she has family members who live in St. Paul, but not in that area, Phelps said. She also said Nelson doesn't have a gun.
Nelson lives with his grandmother, but is often with Phelps at her home, she said. He is on disability because he has muscle problems and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Phelps said.
Ryan was treated for a knee injury he suffered during the chase, police have said.
"It's a very good neighborhood that clearly doesn't witness such violence often," said St. Paul Police Federation President Dave Titus. "This sergeant that was involved is an extremely good cop and has a very impressive history with our department."
Ryan became a St. Paul police officer in 1998. The only discipline listed in his personnel file is a written reprimand in 2005 for conduct unbecoming an officer. Thirteen commendations are listed, including a lifesaving award and a medal of commendation.
Ryan was a cousin of St. Paul police officer Ron Ryan Jr., who, along with a second officer, was fatally shot in the line of duty in August 1994.
Copyright 2013 - Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
