Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Allegedly Firing Gun at Eagan Officers During Struggle
Published: August 18th, 2026 | Updated on August 18, 2026 at 4 PM.
EAGAN, MINNESOTA: A 37-year-old man is facing seven felony charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder, after prosecutors allege he pulled a handgun during a struggle with Eagan police officers, fired a shot toward one officer's head and then attempted to fire at another officer.
Adrian Ricardo Flowers was charged Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in Dakota County District Court in connection with the August 15th incident. The charges include:
Two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer
Two counts of first-degree assault involving the use of deadly force against a peace officer
Two counts of felony obstructing legal process
One count of possessing a firearm following a crime-of-violence conviction.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident began at approximately 6:11 a.m. Saturday when Eagan police officers were dispatched to a report of a domestic disturbance outside a residence in the city. When officers arrived, they found a woman holding a small child outside the residence along with Flowers, according to prosecutors. The complaint does not identify the woman or describe her relationship to Flowers.
Authorities allege that when officers attempted to speak with Flowers about why they had been called, he became argumentative, said he was going inside, and began walking toward the residence. Officers reported that Flowers' speech appeared slurred and that he was holding a bottle of alcohol. Police ordered Flowers to stop, but prosecutors allege he ignored those commands. Officers then attempted to physically prevent him from entering the residence, and Flowers was eventually taken to the ground.
Prosecutors: Gun Fired Toward Officer's Head
According to the complaint, four officers were attempting to detain Flowers on the ground when he allegedly pulled a handgun from his waistband. One of the officers, identified in court documents as Officer 1, attempted to push the handgun out of Flowers' hand. Prosecutors allege Flowers was able to move his wrist and point the handgun toward the officer's head. Officer 1 told investigators that he could see down the barrel of the handgun several times and had to move his head to get out of its path.
Flowers then allegedly pulled the trigger.
According to the complaint, one round was fired toward Officer 1's head but missed. The officer was not injured. The gunshot occurred while all four officers were on the ground attempting to detain Flowers, according to prosecutors. The complaint states that one officer momentarily disengaged after the shot to determine whether any officers had been injured, while another shifted his attention toward locating and disarming the gun.
Gun Allegedly Pushed Into Second Officer's Chest
Prosecutors allege the encounter continued after the first shot. According to the complaint, Flowers pulled the gun down toward a second officer and pushed the muzzle into the officer's torso. Officer 2 reported feeling the barrel of the handgun pressed against his chest. Body-worn camera footage from another responding officer allegedly shows Flowers pointing the firearm at Officer 2 and appearing to attempt to pull the trigger at least once. The gun did not fire.
Officer 2 was eventually able to pin Flowers' hand against the ground and pry the firearm away, according to the complaint. Investigators later determined that a round that entered the chamber after the first shot had jammed, preventing the handgun from firing again, prosecutors allege. The firearm's magazine had also fallen out during the struggle and was recovered along with the spent shell casing.
Complaint: Flowers Claimed He Had Another Gun
After officers removed the handgun from Flowers' possession, prosecutors allege he told police that he had a second gun and immediately moved his hands back toward his waistband. Flowers allegedly refused commands to show his hands, although officers eventually determined that he did not have another firearm.
While being restrained, Flowers claimed that he had not fired his gun and that officers had shot him, according to the complaint. At one point, Flowers allegedly told officers, "I'll kill you."
Flowers was taken into custody, and authorities determined he had not suffered any gunshot-related injuries. Officers also reported seeing a small baggie containing a suspected controlled substance fall from his shorts while he was being taken into custody. The complaint does not indicate that Flowers was charged with a controlled-substance offense in this case.
Body Camera Footage Reviewed
Investigators later reviewed body-worn camera footage from the officers involved in the encounter. According to prosecutors, the footage appeared to show Flowers holding an object inside his shirt between his arm and torso when officers initially contacted him. As officers attempted to prevent him from entering the residence, Flowers allegedly moved the bottle of alcohol he was carrying to his other hand and began reaching inside his shirt.
Investigators determined the object was a handgun, according to the complaint. Prosecutors allege the gun became caught on Flowers' shirt as he attempted to retrieve it, preventing him from pulling it out until after officers had taken him to the ground.
Flowers Tells Investigators He Doesn't Remember Incident
Flowers was transported to the Dakota County Jail and later agreed to speak with investigators after being advised of his Miranda rights. According to the complaint, Flowers said he had been outside that morning attempting to get the woman officers encountered to return inside the residence. Flowers reportedly told investigators he did not remember what happened after officers arrived.
When investigators told him that body-worn camera footage showed him pulling out a firearm, pointing it toward officers and firing it, Flowers allegedly said he did not recall that occurring. Investigators also asked whether he normally carried firearms. According to the complaint, Flowers responded, "I don't know," before ending the interview shortly afterward.
Seven Felony Charges Filed
Flowers is charged with:
Two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer. Each count carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as listed in the complaint.
Two counts of first-degree assault against a peace officer involving the use of deadly force. Each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine.
Two counts of felony obstructing legal process involving conduct creating a risk of death, substantial bodily harm or serious property damage. Each carries a maximum sentence of five years and/or a $10,000 fine.
One count of unlawful firearm possession following a crime-of-violence conviction. The complaint lists a maximum sentence of 15 years and/or a $30,000 fine.
The two attempted-murder and first-degree-assault counts correspond to the two officers prosecutors allege Flowers directly targeted with the handgun. The two obstruction charges identify two additional officers who attempted to restrain him.
Prior Second-Degree Murder Conviction
The firearm charge stems from Flowers' criminal history. According to the criminal complaint, a search of Flowers' record showed a prior felony conviction for second-degree unintentional murder in Ramsey County on June 28, 2012.
Prosecutors allege that conviction legally prohibited Flowers from possessing a firearm, forming the basis for the seventh felony charge.
Request Made to Set Bail as High as $1 Million
At Flowers' initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon, August 18, 2026, the prosecution requested bail be set at $1 million without conditions or $750,000 with conditions, which Judge Christopher Bates agreed with and set, according to information provided by the Dakota County Attorney's Office,
Conditions of release include no contact with the listed victims outside their professional capacity, no possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons, surrender of any firearms, electronic home monitoring with alcohol-sensor monitoring, no alcohol or controlled-substance use, random chemical testing, and participation in a pretrial release program.
Flowers would also be required to remain in Minnesota unless given written permission to leave, to surrender his passport, to comply with active protective orders, to remain law-abiding, and to make all future court appearances.
Flowers is represented by attorney Evan W. Frazier.
Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena made the following statement:
“Our law enforcement partners in Dakota County put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep our communities safe,” said County Attorney Keena. “I have tremendous appreciation for their unwavering commitment to public safety. The outcome of this incident could have been so different, and I’m grateful no officers were killed or sustained any serious physical injuries.”
Eagan Police Chief Responds to Charges
Following the announcement of charges Tuesday, Eagan Police Chief Salim Omari issued a statement addressing the incident, which police said occurred in the 4400 block of Lynx Court. According to the Eagan Police Department, the officers involved were only about 10 minutes into their shift when they responded to the reported domestic dispute that ultimately escalated into the armed struggle.
“10 minutes into their shift, our officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute, and someone tried to kill them,” Omari said.
Omari praised the officers for their response and said he was grateful that neither the officers nor anyone else in the community was seriously injured.
“Our officers walk toward the unknown every day because this community needs them to,” Omari said. “I am incredibly grateful for their courage, their professionalism, and their genuine care for this community, even in a moment of real danger to themselves.”
The chief also thanked the Dakota County Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies that responded to the incident for their support of the officers, victims and community.
“Thankfully, no one – not our officers, not anyone else in our community – was seriously hurt that morning,” Omari said. “That outcome was not guaranteed, and I don’t take it for granted.”
Omari said the encounter serves as a reminder of the dangers officers can face while responding to calls and their commitment to protecting the community.
“Eagan is a safer community because its officers are willing to put themselves in harm’s way to protect others,” Omari said.
The charges contained in a criminal complaint are allegations. Flowers is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Pictured: Adrian Ricardo Flowers. Provided by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
