2 arrested in connection to shots fired at Ramsey County deputy

Two people are now in custody after a Ramsey County deputy was shot at earlier this month.

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry and Sgt. Mike Ernster shared the update Wednesday afternoon.

RELATED: Ramsey County sheriff: ‘Shrapnel’ hits deputy after suspect shoots at squad during pursuit

According to Ernster, officers executed a search warrant in the 1000 block of Pacific Avenue and arrested 20-year-old Trevion Figgs, the suspected shooter. The 17-year-old suspected of driving the vehicle at the time turned himself in just after 9 a.m., Ernster added.

Police say officers saw a dark-colored Honda Accord driving recklessly on Payne Avenue and Jessamine Street on the night of March 1. It fled from officers but a deputy in the area saw the vehicle a short time later and tried to stop it. During that time, at least two shots were fired at the deputy by a person hanging out the suspect vehicle’s passenger window. While the deputy — Joe Kill — wasn’t shot, shrapnel from the dash hit him, officials say. He was evaluated for injuries but wasn’t hurt, Ernster said.

Police later found the suspect vehicle but the suspects were gone.

Figgs is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, assault and drive-by shooting but hadn’t been formally charged as of Wednesday afternoon. The suspected driver is being held on suspicion of aiding and abetting murder and assault as well as fleeing police.

“This is a very, very serious issue for our state and we take it very seriously,” Henry said Wednesday, noting that assaults on officers in Minnesota are up by around 150% over the past five years and up 40% in St. Paul over the past two years.

The chief called it “unacceptable” and said the city and law enforcement won’t stand for it.

“When someone in our community shoots at a community member wearing one of these uniforms or a trooper uniform or a deputy uniform, it’s a bellwether for us as community members. If you will shoot at a law enforcement officer who’s clearly a police officer, you will literally shoot at anybody,” Henry said. “Our city will not stand for that, our community will not stand for that.”

Ernster said this particular incident was especially surprising considering it was just a reckless driving suspect.

“It’s unthinkable as far as the crime of what we have going on and someone that’s willing to lean outside the car window and take a shot at an officer who’s just trying to pull him over for a traffic violation. I think it says a lot for what our officers are facing on the streets every day now,” Ernster said.

Three first responders were killed just last month in Burnsville when a domestic call escalated to shots fired and, just this week, police say a man fired shots at officers in Oakdale. Last year had a particularly high number of officers shot in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, including one in St. Paul just four months ago.

When asked about the increasing frequency of incidents, especially lately, involving shots fired at law enforcement, Ernster responded, “I think we have to look at our society as a whole … I think we as a society have to look at how we can make some changes to stop this type of violence.”

The case remains under investigation.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher also released a statement Wednesday, calling for society to “get serious about holding people who try to kill accountable.”