St. Paul Man Charged After Allegedly Assaulting Deputies, Attempting to Take Taser at Ramsey County Office
Published: July 23rd, 2026.
SAINT PAUL: A St. Paul man is facing three felony charges after prosecutors allege he assaulted two Ramsey County deputies and attempted to remove a deputy's Taser during a confrontation inside the Ramsey County Human Services office.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court, Nathaniel James Ellison, 29, of St. Paul, is charged with:
Two counts of fourth-degree assault of a peace officer resulting in demonstrable bodily harm, both felonies.
One count of attempted disarming of a peace officer by attempting to take a defensive device, a felony.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred at approximately 3 p.m. on July 20, 2026, at the Ramsey County Human Services office located at 121 7th Place East in St. Paul.
Prosecutors allege Ellison became upset after a Human Services supervisor informed him that his household's public benefits had been suspended because required paperwork had been submitted late. He was reportedly accompanied by an adult woman and three young children.
The complaint alleges Ellison threw two county-owned computer monitors to the floor, prompting an employee to activate a panic alarm and retreat to a secure area. Authorities allege Ellison then climbed onto the public service counter, pushed a county employee who attempted to stop him, and entered an employees-only workspace.
According to the complaint, responding Ramsey County deputies escorted Ellison out of the restricted area and informed him he was not free to leave. Prosecutors allege Ellison then shoved one deputy, assumed a fighting stance, and resisted as deputies attempted to take him into custody.
During the struggle, the complaint alleges Ellison grabbed a deputy's Taser and attempted to remove it from the deputy's duty belt. After being unable to remove the device, prosecutors allege he attempted to place the deputy in a headlock.
A bystander reportedly observed Ellison reaching for the deputy's weapon and assisted deputies in restraining him. According to the complaint, the witness later stated Ellison "definitely was trying to go for a stun gun or gun on one of the officer's belts."
After he was handcuffed, prosecutors allege Ellison told deputies, "You better put leg shackles on me because I'm going to fight again." The complaint further states that he later apologized and acknowledged that attempting to take the deputy's Taser was "not a good idea."
According to the complaint, both deputies sustained scrapes and bruises during the incident. One deputy also suffered a large bruise to his lower back, an open cut to his face, and reported pain to his back, arm, leg, and ankle before receiving medical evaluation at Regions Hospital.
Ellison declined to provide a formal statement to investigators, according to the complaint.
The allegations contained in the criminal complaint are accusations. Ellison is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.