Teen driver fled police as passenger fired shots at Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy, charges say

A teen who prosecutors say was driving the car that his friend leaned out of to shoot at a pursuing Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy was charged Friday in juvenile court with aiding and abetting attempted murder.

Devon Ronnie Shack, 17, also faces aiding and abetting first-degree assault of a peace officer, aiding and abetting dangerous weapons-drive by shooting and fleeing police in a motor vehicle in connection with the March 1 incident on St. Paul’s East Side.

Shack, who was arrested Wednesday after turning himself in to police, was scheduled to make a first appearance in juvenile court Friday afternoon. Prosecutors intend to try him as an adult.

Deputy Joe Kill wasn’t seriously injured by the rounds fired by Trevion Armand Figgs on March 1, according to Thursday’s criminal complaint against the 20-year-old. Shrapnel from bullets that hit Kill’s squad struck the deputy near his right collar bone, causing bruising and pain when he turned his head. Figgs, of St. Paul, has been charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault of a peace officer and dangerous weapons-drive by shooting. He remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.

According to the juvenile petition and criminal complaint, St. Paul police officers saw someone, later identified as Shack, driving a Honda Accord recklessly at Payne Avenue and Jessamine Street around 10:45 p.m. The officers tried to pull him over, but the car sped away.

A short time later, Kill saw the Accord and noticed that two people were in it. When the car blew through a red light at Payne Avenue and Seventh Street, Kill turned on his emergency lights and siren and began to pursue it.

As the Honda headed east on Euclid Street, the front-seat passenger, who wore a face mask, leaned out of the car, sat on the door frame, and fired a tan-colored assault rifle at the deputy, who was 25 to 30 yards behind, the complaint says.

Kill swerved his squad to the left, stopped in the 900 block of Euclid Street and took cover under the driver compartment. Kill thought three shots were fired at him.

Surveillance video audio from the neighborhood recorded approximately three to five gunshot-like noises. Officers found two spent .223-caliber rifle casings in the middle of Euclid Street.

Officers searched the area and found the Accord unoccupied and parked in an alley in the 1000 block of Pacific Street. Surveillance video showed the car in the alley around 10:50 p.m., then two people running east.

A search of the car turned up two spent .223-caliber rifle casings. Paperwork showed Shack was in the process of buying the car.

‘In trouble’

Further investigation showed a close relationship between the teen and Figgs, whose house is in the area where the car was found.

Trevion Armand Figgs (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Investigators then received information from Figgs’ Snapchat account. It showed that an account associated with Shack sent Figgs a photo of Figgs wearing a black face mask and holding a tan assault rifle consistent with the one described by the deputy.

On Wednesday, officers executed a search warrant at Figgs’ home and arrested him. In an upper bedroom, officers recovered a tan AR-style rifle stock, a Polymer 80 handgun, a debit card in Shack’s name and loose .223- and 9mm-caliber ammunition.

Officers also executed a search warrant Wednesday at a Brooklyn Park home associated with Shack. His mother said he wasn’t living there because of a “lifestyle she did not approve of,” according to the petition. She said he called her on March 12 and “told her he was in trouble, but he did not explain what happened,” the petition says.

In an interview with investigators, Shack said he turned himself in because he was being accused of something he didn’t do. He said he didn’t shoot anyone. When asked about Figgs, Shack said he “didn’t have anything to say to police,” the petition says.

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