A man was sentenced Wednesday to serve a total of 45 days in jail and three years of probation for pointing a pellet gun at two South St. Paul officers, prompting one to fire off a shot at him.

Demetrious Roosevelt Royal (Courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)

Nobody was hurt in the May 31 incident, which happened at an apartment building garage in the 200 block of Grand Avenue West.

According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to the apartment building about 10:15 p.m. after a woman requested help in removing someone from her home. She said she was outside, then disconnected the call.

Officers did not see anyone outside the apartment building, so they went inside and walked toward the garage entrance. When an officer opened the garage service door, he saw a man, later identified as 54-year-old Demetrious Roosevelt Royal, pointing a handgun at him and another officer.

“The handgun had a red laser attached to it and it was pointed directly at the officers,” the complaint reads.

The officers ran out of the line of fire and slammed the door behind them. They took up positions of cover outside the garage.

About 30 seconds later, as the officers were airing the situation and requesting backup, Royal emerged from the garage through the overhead door. An officer saw the red laser briefly pointed in his direction, prompting him to fire one shot in Royal’s direction. He was not struck.

Officers ordered Royal to drop the gun. He raised his hands above his head and hit the ground. While face down, Royal slid a black object across the ground toward the officers. It was later determined to be a battery-powered red laser device that can be attached to a firearm.

Agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension searched the garage and found a Co2-powered pellet handgun inside a storage tote, which was otherwise empty. The pellet handgun was capable of having a flashlight or laser attached to it.

In an interview with law enforcement, Royal, of South St. Paul, admitted to having the laser but not the pellet gun, the complaint says.

In June, Royal pleaded guilty to one count of felony threats of violence after reaching an agreement with the prosecution that included no prison time.

Dakota County District Judge Christopher Lehmann on Wednesday stayed a one-year prison sentence for three years and gave him a 45-day jail sentence, with credit for 13 days he’s already served in custody.

The BCA in June identified the officer who fired his handgun as Dylan Naffzinger, saying he had 1½ years of law enforcement experience. The BCA is investigating the shooting and will present its findings without a charging recommendation to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office for review.

Royal does not have a criminal history in Minnesota beyond traffic offenses, court records show. However, prosecutors said Royal has eight out-of-state criminal convictions going back to 1989, including assault-displaying a weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle, burglary, robbery and domestic assault.

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