A Saint Paul man pulled a handgun and fired at an officer’s head while four officers struggled to detain him outside a residence in Eagan, prosecutors say.
The charges against Adrian Ricardo Flowers, 37, were filed Tuesday in Dakota County District Court. He faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer, two counts of obstructing legal process involving a peace officer and a firearm violation for having a gun after a prior violent crime conviction.
According to the complaint, officers responded to a domestic disturbance outside a residence in Eagan at about 6:11 a.m. on August 15. They found a woman holding a small child and Flowers, who was holding a bottle of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated. When officers tried to speak with Flowers, he became argumentative, ignored commands to stop and attempted to go back inside the residence.
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Officers tried to physically restrain Flowers, taking him to the ground as he resisted. While four officers were on the ground attempting to detain him, Flowers produced a handgun from his waistband. One officer tried to push the gun away, but Flowers managed to point it at the officer’s head and fired a shot. The bullet missed, and the officer was not injured.
The complaint states that after firing at the first officer, Flowers pointed the gun at a second officer and pressed the muzzle into the officer’s torso, attempting to fire again. Body camera footage showed Flowers trying to pull the trigger, but the gun did not discharge. Officers were able to pin Flowers’ hand and pry the gun away.
Investigators later determined the gun had jammed after the first shot, preventing it from firing again. The magazine had fallen out and was recovered along with a spent shell casing.
After being disarmed, Flowers claimed he had a second gun and refused to show his hands, but officers confirmed he was unarmed. While being held on the ground, Flowers told officers, “I’ll kill you,” and growled at them. He was taken into custody without gunshot injuries. Officers also saw a small baggie containing a suspected controlled substance fall from Flowers’ shorts during the arrest.
Investigators reviewed body camera footage and saw that Flowers appeared to be concealing the handgun inside his shirt when officers first arrived. As officers tried to stop him from entering the house, Flowers moved the alcohol bottle to his other hand and reached for the gun, which got caught in his shirt until he was taken to the ground.
Flowers later gave a statement to investigators, saying he was outside trying to get the woman to come back inside and did not remember anything after officers arrived. When told about the shooting, Flowers said he did not recall it and ended the interview shortly after.
Court records show Flowers has a prior conviction for second-degree unintentional murder in Ramsey County in 2012.
A court date has not yet been set.
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
Dakota County, immediately south of Saint Paul, is Minnesota’s third-largest county by population. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies through the First Judicial District; cases are heard at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.
