A New Brighton man is facing charges after investigators said he fired at a Ramsey County sergeant and K-9 during a road-rage chase in Maplewood.
According to a criminal complaint, 25-year-old Dmonte Leanna was charged Thursday with one count each of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, illegal possession of a firearm, second-degree assault and assault on a public safety dog.
Court records say on Tuesday night, a 29-year-old woman pulled her minivan into the Walgreens parking lot on Rice Street in Maplewood. Court records said a Buick driven by Leanna pulled up next to her, and he told the woman to “get the f*** out of the way.” Leanna then drove out onto Larpenteur Avenue, and the woman followed.
According to the complaint, Leanna took out a black handgun and pointed it at the woman, who kept following him and yelled she was going to call the police.
What happened next?
As the woman turned north onto Rice Street, the complaint said Leanna made a U-turn and began following her. The woman ran a red light and then saw Leanna make another U-turn at Rice Street and Roselawn Avenue. Then, the woman saw a vehicle activate its emergency lights.
Around the same time, a sergeant was on patrol with his K-9 partner in an unmarked Durango. The sergeant saw a Buick chasing a minivan on Rice Street and tried to catch up as the Buick made a U-turn and headed south.
That was when the sergeant began a U-turn to follow the Buick. Investigators said Leanna then shot at the sergeant, hitting the squad’s hood and ricocheting into the windshield. The sergeant and K-9 were not injured. Leanna drove away, prompting a multi-agency emergency response.
How police tracked him
With squad video, deputies were able to find Leanna’s license plate, and the sergeant later identified Leanna in a photo as the man who shot at him and Sonny.
Officers found bullet casings and a shoe after they found the Buick near the 1500 block of Timberlake Road. A witness told officers the Buick’s driver may have gotten into a black sedan. A state trooper identified the black sedan that left the area, and officers later stopped it on I-94 near 53rd Avenue in Minneapolis. Leanna’s mother was driving the black sedan, and Leanna was the passenger.
Leanna’s mother told authorities that when she arrived home, her son appeared nervous and asked for a ride to a family friend’s house in Minneapolis. She also told authorities he used to work at a tire delivery place but got fired after a road rage incident.
What investigators said
Officers recovered a handgun that investigators said matched shell casings found at the scene. According to the complaint, Leanna told investigators he fired at the Durango because he thought it was going to hit him and said he panicked and did not realize it was a police vehicle.
According to the criminal complaint, Leanna has a prior adjudication for criminal sexual conduct in the first degree that makes him ineligible to possess firearms or ammunition.
Leanna’s first appearance is scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m.
