Man accused of shooting at deputy found guilty of assault, not guilty of attempted murder
Rashad Odell Collins (Hennepin County Jail)
A man arrested for allegedly shooting at a Hennepin County deputy who was chasing him in September of 2022 has been found guilty of several of the charges filed against him.
Rashad Odell Collins, 19, of Burnsville, had been charged with aiding and abetting first-degree attempted murder, aiding and abetting first-degree assault, aiding and abetting fleeing police in a motor vehicle and aiding and abetting first-degree burglary after the incident, which included a bullet flying through the cruiser’s windshield.
He was found guilty on Friday of aiding and abetting first-degree assault, aiding and abetting fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and aiding and abetting first-degree burglary. He was found not guilty of attempted first-degree murder.
RELATED: 2 charged with attempted murder of an officer in September pursuit
Brooklyn Center police responded to reports of an armed burglary around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 15, 2022, and then relayed reports that the suspects fled in a white Ford Fusion.
The 911 caller said three people broke into their home, stealing cash and a video game console from him.
A Hennepin County deputy then spotted a white Ford Fusion and tried to initiate a traffic stop. The deputy said he then heard multiple gunshots as the car “continued to drive erratically, changing directions to evade” the deputy, according to the criminal complaint.
Court documents say the deputy discontinued the pursuit on I-94 after a bullet struck the middle of his squad cruiser’s windshield and sent glass debris flying into the squad.
The deputy and his K9 were not injured, and law enforcement members say they didn’t fire any shots.
The interstate was temporarily closed as officers searched the area for bullet casings.
RELATED: UPDATE: Suspect shoots at deputy during pursuit on I-94 in Minneapolis
As previously reported, Collins co-defendant, Damon Davenport Jr., was sentenced last October to serve 75 months at the St. Cloud prison for one count of first-degree assault and first-degree burglary. As part of a deal, charges of attempted first-degree murder and fleeing police in a vehicle were dismissed.
Collins’ sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 12.