A Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy is still recovering from injuries after being shot at earlier this month while in pursuit of a fleeing vehicle, but two people have now been arrested in connection to the shooting.
Trevion Armond Figgs, 20, was arrested Wednesday following a search warrant on the 1100 block of Pacific Street in St. Paul. Figgs’ alleged accomplice and the driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old boy, turned himself in to police Wednesday morning, Sgt. Mike Ernster said in a press conference following the arrests.
Figgs is being held on probable cause charges of drive-by shooting, attempted murder, assault, and dangerous discharge of a firearm.
Deputy Joe Kill, a member of Ramsey County’s Carjacking Auto Theft or CAT team, was in pursuit of a vehicle in St. Paul on March 1 that had fled from St. Paul police earlier in the night when a passenger leaned out of the suspect vehicle and fired shots from a rifle at Deputy Kill.
It’s believed that shrapnel or other debris from a bullet striking the vehicle ricocheted and struck Deputy Kill near the collarbone under the strap of his bullet resistant vest.
Great guy. Great deputy. Thank God he’s ok. Just wish this madness would end. https://t.co/YrOWe80ovb
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) March 2, 2024
According to a statement released following the incident from Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher:
“A St. Paul Police Officer reported that a vehicle had fled from him in the area of Jessamine and Greenbrier on St. Paul’s Eastside.
Ramsey County Deputy Joe Kill spotted the vehicle near Payne and Minnehaha. He followed it as it ran a red light and then attempted to stop it with red lights and siren. The vehicle refused to stop and fled into the lower Eastside neighborhood.
As it fled east on Euclid from Mendota a passenger in the vehicle leaned out the open window and began shooting at Deputy Kill with a AR style rifle.
Deputy Kill’s squad was struck by gunfire. One projectile penetrated the front hood near the driver side and then passed through the dash striking him in his ballistic vest strap near his collar bone. He was transported to the hospital, treated and released.
Two .223 rifle casings were recovered at the scene and are pictured below. Shortly thereafter, a St. Paul Police Officer found the suspect vehicle approximately 6 blocks away. It was recovered for forensic evaluation.”
The St. Paul Police Department took over the primary role in the investigation to avoid a conflict of interest for Ramsey County.
Sheriff Fletcher released a new statement following the arrests on Wednesday:
“We’re thankful for the excellent work done by the St. Paul Police Department and grateful for those who’ve reached out to check on Deputy Kill. We’re also counting our lucky stars that he wasn’t more seriously injured or worse.
Society is tired of the chaos; you can’t race around town in a stolen car shooting at people. Unfortunately, some haven’t learned this lesson, whether from their parents, teachers, or the criminal justice system. So, gang conflicts cross the river. Then triggers get pulled, the innocent get gunned down, violent offenders get set free, and the law-abiding pay the price.
It shouldn’t be controversial to support consequences for people who commit gun crimes. We need to get serious about holding people who try to kill accountable. This includes the suspect in Deputy Kill’s case, who is a suspect in two other shootings and shouldn’t have even been on the streets.
There’s a thin line between good and evil, and it’s time we get back to respecting those who stand on that line, at the request of society, to keep us safe. That starts with swift and stiff consequences for the people pulling the triggers. We can find them, and we can arrest them. But if we can’t hold them accountable, we’ll continue to see more of the same: chaos.”
A search of Minnesota court records shows that Figgs was just convicted in Ramsey County in January on a charge of being in possession of a firearm without a serial number. The case was originally charged last June as a felony after Figgs fled from a vehicle that was involved in a St. Paul shooting where 27 spent shell casings had been recovered. Upon apprehension, a .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine and an obliterated serial number was found in Figgs’ backpack.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, Figgs took an Alford Plea and the charge was downgraded to a gross misdemeanor at sentencing by Judge Andrew Gordon. Figgs’ 360-day workhouse sentence was stayed, and he was placed on probation in a downward departure from Minnesota sentencing guidelines.
Alpha News will continue to follow developments and formal charges in the case.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
