St. Paul Man Arrested After Allegedly Shooting at Ramsey County Deputy at Point-Blank Range
Photos: Ramsey County Sheriff Office
RAMSEY COUNTY MN: A 25-year-old St. Paul man was arrested Tuesday night after authorities say he fired a handgun at a Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy from point-blank range in Maplewood before fleeing the area.
According to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened around 8 p.m. near Rice Street and Roselawn Avenue. The deputy and his K-9 partner were on their way to assist another deputy with a fight call when the deputy encountered what appeared to be a road-rage incident involving the driver of a gold Buick LeSabre.
The sheriff’s office said the deputy pulled behind the LeSabre before its driver suddenly made a U-turn. As the deputy slowed, authorities allege the driver fired a handgun out of the driver’s side window toward the deputy.
The bullet reportedly ricocheted off the hood of the squad vehicle before striking its windshield. The deputy was not hit.
Authorities say the driver then fled at a high rate of speed to the McDonough Townhomes, where the deputy lost sight of the vehicle.
A witness later told authorities that the driver of the LeSabre got into another vehicle and was driven away. A Roseville police officer helped identify the second vehicle's make, model, color and license plate, and that information was broadcast to other law enforcement agencies.
A short time later, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper spotted the vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 694 near Rice Street. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, and a State Patrol helicopter tracked the vehicle from the air.
The driver eventually stopped and was arrested. Authorities also arrested Dmonte Shavezz Leanna, 25, of St. Paul, who the sheriff’s office identified as the suspect in the shooting. He was booked into jail pending charges.
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators determined that a handgun had been thrown from the vehicle during the pursuit. Ramsey County Deputy Ashleigh Sparks and her K-9 partner, BeBe, later recovered the firearm in the 1900 block of Rice Street.
The case remains under investigation, and formal charges against Leanna were pending as of the sheriff’s office announcement.
Any allegations against Leanna have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.