Man charged with shooting at squad car, police station in Circle Pines

A man was charged Tuesday with shooting at a police squad car and a police station in Circle Pines.

Court records show 51-year-old Donald Raymond Guse is charged with drive-by shooting, reckless discharge of a firearm, fleeing a peace officer, first-degree damage to property and second-degree driving while impaired.

According to a criminal complaint, Centennial Lakes police officers were inside the police station at 54 North Road in Circle Pines when they heard a gunshot from outside the building at about 7:09 p.m. on Sunday. Officers went outside and saw a gunshot had been fired into the driver’s side window of a police squad car near the building, and the projectile ricocheted back out and broke the glass door leading into the station.

Officers reviewed surveillance video and saw a white Chevrolet truck had stopped along North Road. The occupant, while still inside the truck, appeared to fire a round at the building, which was about 50 yards away, the complaint states.

Centennial Lakes Police Department reports damage to police vehicle, department building

A short time later, officers located the truck nearby and initiated a traffic stop but the truck ran a ran light and went south on Hodgson Road at a high rate of speed, the complaint states. The truck then turned into a driveway and officers found Guse in the vehicle.

The complaint states that as officers removed Guse from the vehicle, a spent 12-gauge shotgun shell fell out of the passenger’s side. They also noted Guse smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech. He then failed several field sobriety tests and refused to take a breath test, the complaint states.

It also states Guse later admitted to firing the gun at the car and police station, saying he was trying to shoot the car’s tire.

Guse made his first court appearance on Tuesday, and a judge set his bail at $400,000 without conditions or $200,000 with conditions.

His next court appearance is set for Feb. 8.