Crime & Safety
Suspect Accused of Firing Shots at Police to Appear in Court
Justin Thadeus Amick is scheduled to make his first court appearance at noon Tuesday.
A West St. Paul man accused of firing shots at Inver Grove Heights Police officers Sunday morning is expected to make his first appearance in Dakota County District Court today.
Justin Thadeus Amick, 39, is scheduled to appear in court at noon.
Three felony charges are pending against him in the Sunday incident: use of deadly force against a peace officer or correctional employee, attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer or prison guard and possession of a pistol/assault weapon by a person convicted of a crime of violence.
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He is also facing a misdemeanor charge not connected to the alleged shooting: failure to pay court-ordered child support.
Inver Grove Heights police said that Amick must be formally charged in the incident before noon Tuesday.
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According to police and media reports, Amick is accused of firing a number of shots at police officers from a parked car in the area of River Road and 77th Street around 5 a.m. Sunday morning. Neither of the officers on the scene was injured.
Amick was arrested in West St. Paul about an hour after the incident. He has been held in the Dakota County Jail since Sunday.
Tuesday morning, the Pioneer Press reported that a woman arrested with Amick has been released and is no longer a suspect in the incident.
The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation.
Here is a press release from the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office that was posted on its website Tuesday morning:
An adult male has been arrested after allegedly shooting at Inver Grove police officers responding to a “shots fired” call on Sunday morning. The caller stated they heard shots fired from the area of River Road and 77th Street in Inver Grove Heights.
According to Sheriff Dave Bellows, two Inver Grove Heights police officers responded to the area of the call. As they approached a vehicle, the driver was seen pointing a gun at officers, firing multiple shots at them. Neither officer was struck as a result of the shots. The suspect was observed throwing a gun towards police, followed by the vehicle leaving the scene at a high rate of speed.
Police were able to locate the suspect and vehicle at an address in West St. Paul a short time later. The suspect fled from the building, but was arrested by police with assistance from a police canine.
The suspect has been identified as Justin Thadeus Amick, 39 years of age, from West St. Paul. The suspect was taken to the Dakota County Jail on probable cause for use of deadly force against a police officer, in addition to other felony charges. The case has been presented to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office for formal charges.
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