Man charged with assault after tracking down, shooting person who allegedly stole his van

A man from Brooklyn Park is being charged with assault after a Tuesday morning incident during which he allegedly tracked his stolen van and confronted the thief.

According to court records, 45-year-old Christopher Kilburn is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

Around 8 a.m., police responded to a single ShotSpotter notification and two related 911 calls near Dupont Avenue North and Lowry Avenue North in Minneapolis, a criminal complaint states. One of the callers told dispatch that he had tracked his stolen vehicle and was holding the culprit at gunpoint.

Upon arriving at the scene, police saw Kilburn standing over a man and holding onto his pants and belt as he lay facedown on the sidewalk. The victim was bleeding from a large gash on his head and a gunshot wound to the hand, the complaint says. Police asked which man had the gun, Kilburn raised his hand and officers took the gun from his waistband.

Kilburn told police that the man had robbed his Brooklyn Center business and stolen a vehicle from there. He tracked it to north Minneapolis and saw the man in the driver’s seat, according to the complaint. He approached the vehicle, pointed the gun at the driver and told him to turn off the ignition.

The man looked like he wanted to run, Kilburn told police, so he grabbed him, pulled him out of the vehicle and told him to freeze, the complaint states. However, the man struggled, so Kilburn hit him in the head with the gun’s butt, but the man got away, so he gave chase and fired a shot at him.

The man tripped and fell, after which Kilburn called 911, according to the complaint.

The injured man was taken to the hospital, according to Minneapolis police. It is unknown whether he is facing any charges.

Kilburn is in custody at the Hennepin County Jail and his bail is set at $100,000. He had his first appearance in court Thursday afternoon and has another hearing on Nov. 29.