A Maplewood woman pulled a knife and stabbed a police sergeant outside a CVS store after being confronted about stolen merchandise, continuing to attack even after being knocked to the ground, prosecutors say.
Jowharah Jannah Bilal, 48, faces charges of attempted 1st-degree murder of a peace officer and 1st-degree assault for using deadly force against a peace officer, according to a complaint filed Thursday in Ramsey County District Court.
According to the complaint, Maplewood police responded to a CVS store on July 21 after employees reported a woman threatening staff and stealing merchandise. Staff told officers they had locked the woman out for safety. When a sergeant arrived, he found a woman matching the description outside the store and began speaking with her.
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During the conversation, the woman, later identified as Bilal, suddenly pulled a knife from her purse and stabbed at the sergeant, striking him in the shoulder. Video footage shows Bilal continuing to approach and stab at the officer as he fell to the ground, only stopping when a nearby man intervened and pulled her away. The man, identified as Bilal’s adult son, and the officer struggled with her until additional officers arrived.
It took more than five officers and multiple uses of an incapacitation device to subdue Bilal. The blade of the knife broke from the handle during the struggle, and both pieces were recovered at the scene. The sergeant suffered a two-inch wide stab wound to his left shoulder and was transported to the hospital, where he was treated and released the next day. No vital organs or major blood vessels were injured.
Witnesses told police that Bilal had walked out of the store with unpaid merchandise, re-entered, chased a manager behind the counter and yelled aggressively before being locked out. Bilal’s son told officers that she had a history of mental health issues and had refused treatment. He said he had driven her to the store that day and waited outside, describing her as speaking incoherently and insisting some items should be free.
In a Mirandized interview, Bilal admitted to taking merchandise but claimed she returned it and apologized. She said she was digging in her purse for her phone when the officer grabbed her arm, causing pain, though video shows the officer did not touch her before the stabbing. Bilal acknowledged grabbing the knife but alternately claimed not to have used it and said she did not remember what happened.
She also told investigators she believed the officer was a robot because she did not see blood.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s criminal-attempt statute, § 609.17, limits punishment for attempt to no more than half the maximum for the completed offense. Attempted first-degree murder carries up to 20 years in prison, half the life maximum for the completed offense.
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Jurisdictional Context
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
