CHARGES: He Hit 2 Saint Paul Officers with SUV, Fled From Scene

Jun 17

A Minneapolis man with six prior felony convictions is facing new charges after allegedly striking two Saint Paul police officers with an SUV last week.

D’Andre Nicholas Bender, 33, is charged in Ramsey County with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of fleeing police in a motor vehicle.

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The incident occurred around 11:24 p.m. on Thursday, June 12 at the Holiday gas station at 629 Rice Street. Officers had stopped a black GMC Acadia for driving without headlights on Como Avenue. The driver pulled into the gas station, and officers approached the vehicle after spotting a clear bag of marijuana in the center console, not in its original packaging.

Officers opened the driver’s door and asked Bender to step out. Instead, he allegedly tried to close the door, then reversed the SUV into a squad car behind him and drove forward out of the lot.

Officers Avent and Johnson were standing on the driver’s side when Bender accelerated in reverse. Officer Avent was knocked to the ground and saw the SUV strike the squad car. He believed Officer Johnson and another officer had been run over. Body camera video showed Bender accelerating rapidly in reverse while holding the door, striking both officers, court documents say. Avent was pinned against a building pillar and dragged by the open door, sustaining visible scratches to his left arm. He then got into a squad car and initiated a pursuit.

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Officer Johnson said he had just started to open the door to remove Bender when Bender asked, “For what?” and grabbed the door. Johnson held onto it as Bender reversed, pinning him between the door and a gas pump. Johnson was dragged by the vehicle and then struck Officer Avent, the documents say. He suffered scratches to both shins and legs.

Bender fled the area, though his SUV was later found abandoned on the railroad tracks north of Energy Park Drive near Highway 280. A witness reported seeing a black Acadia turn onto the tracks and officers found Bender’s ID on the floorboard of the Acadia, with the driver’s door bent open.

Bender was eventually found hiding inside a garage on Hillside Avenue. Officers said his eyes were glossy and he refused to answer questions. Field sobriety testing was not conducted but a warrant was obtained for a blood sample.

Bender has prior convictions for three first-degree aggravated robberies, one second-degree aggravated robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and theft. He remains in custody with bail set at $150,000. If convicted, he faces up to seven years on each assault charge and three years on the fleeing charge.

A Saint Paul Police Department spokesperson said both officers were treated and released from Regions Hospital with minor injuries.

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