The Complainant having reviewed the applicable reports believes the following facts to be true: On December 10, 2024, at approximately 7:20 PM, officers with the St. Paul Police Department were reviewing CCTV footage of a parking lot located at [ADDRESS REDACTED] in the City of St. Paul, Ramsey County. This address is a commercial property that is a known problem area. Police have made multiple arrests at the location for homicides, assaults, and drug offenses. While reviewing camera feeds, officers observed multiple interactions in which an individual would walk up to a vehicle officers noted had been stopped in the lot, have a short interaction, and then walk away from the vehicle.
Based on training and experience, officers knew this type of repeated interaction to be consistent with narcotics sales. However, officers were unable to confirm any hand-to-hand exchanges. Officers went to the parking lot and observed the driver of the vehicle. Officers recognized the driver as N. M. T., whom they knew to not have a valid driver's license. A short time after officers' arrival, N. M. T. Drove out of the parking lot. Officers subsequently stopped the vehicle for the violation. Officers made contact with N. M. T. And, while doing so, observed a firearm magazine sticking out from under the driver's seat in plain view.
As officers continued to speak with N. M. T., the front passenger suddenly jumped out of the vehicle and ran southbound on Western Avenue while holding his waistband. The passenger was later identified as MON'TE NOEL MESIDOR [DOB REDACTED], Defendant herein. Officers gave chase to detain Defendant, commanding him to stop and informing him he was under arrest. Defendant continued running. During the chase, Defendant ran in between houses and officers lost sight of him. One of the SPPD K9 officers was deployed to track Defendant and Minnesota State Patrol provided assistance using their helicopter to look for heat signatures.
With MSP's assistance, the K9 officer and his handler were able to locate Defendant hiding between a fence and a shed on the 1000 block of Virginia Street. After Defendant was secured, officers searched the area he had run. They located a discarded Smith & Wesson Springfield semiautomatic pistol (SN EBT2517) in the yard of a residence on the 1000 block of Western Avenue, less than 0.1 miles from where Defendant was found hiding. Officers collected DNA from Defendant using a buccal swab pursuant to a search warrant.
They also collected DNA from the firearm's grip. Upon testing both samples, Defendant's DNA profile was found to be the major contributor. The noted probability was over 100 billion times more likely that the mixture contained Defendant's DNA and four other samples rather than five unknown, unrelated samples. At the time of the incident, Defendant did not have a valid permit to carry a pistol in the State of Minnesota. Additionally, Defendant was ineligible to possess a firearm as he has previously been convicted of a crime for which the maximum punishment exceeds one year imprisonment, to wit: Flee Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle in violation of Minn.
