Man Charged with Shooting of White Bear Lake Officer
Suspect, Daniel Holmgren
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has filed attempted murder and assault charges against a man after he allegedly shot a White Bear Lake police officer on Tuesday evening.
33-year-old Daniel Loren Holmgren, Jr., of White Bear Lake, has been charged with one count each of 1st-degree attempted murder of a police officer, 1st-degree assault against a police officer causing great bodily harm, and three counts of 1st-degree assault for use of deadly force against a police officer.
According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 24, White Bear Lake police officers arrived to an apartment building on the 3100 block of Karth Road in an attempt to arrest Holmgren on a felony domestic assault warrant. Holmgren had failed to make a court appearance in connection with the alleged domestic assault. When Holmgren was arrested in the domestic assault case, he was reported to be hostile towards officers, referenced guns and threatened to shoot officers.
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The criminal complaint says that while attempting to serve the warrant, four officers, only identified by initials, entered the apartment with the permission of a family member. Holmgren was found to be in his bedroom with the door closed. Officers and the family member told Holmgren that he had a warrant when he became “belligerent,” the documents said. Holmgren refused to exit the bedroom, was yelling at the officers, and told them that he was “ready to die.”
Charging documents say at that point, Holmgren fired a gun multiple times from his bedroom door. One officer was shot multiple times, suffering wounds in his leg, stomach and pelvis. Officers returned fire and retreated from the apartment. The officer was transported by paramedics to the hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery but is now in stable condition.
PREVIOUSLY: Officer Shot in White Bear Lake; Suspect in Custody
A standoff ensued, with police officers and SWAT teams throughout the metro responding to assist. Negotiators were able to speak to Holmgren, who continued to threaten to kill law enforcement officers. SWAT teams eventually deployed tear gas into the apartment, at which point Holmgren came out and surrendered.
A wide perimeter in place Tuesday, Jan. 24 on the 3100 block of Karth Road. MN CRIME PHOTO
The complaint says officers recovered a Smith and Wesson 9mm firearm from the bathroom next to Holmgren’s bedroom.
Agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension attempted to interview Holmgren after being arrested. He called the agents “monkeys” and requested an attorney, the documents said.
TWITTER: Our original thread as the incident unfolded
Previous court records show that Holmgren has made threats toward law enforcement in the past. On June 20, 2020, officers arrested him for domestic assault. At the time, he referenced having a gun and told officers, “My hand was on my gun, man. I was just debating if I wanted to take one of you with me.” He continued to say that if he knew police had been called, he would have been ready and “it would have been a different story.”
More court documents show that Holmgren has a significant mental health history and is currently under a civil commitment order. Court documents show that Holmgren has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital nine times since 2008.
Holmgren is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Thursday at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center. Prosecutors are asking for $3 million bail.
“This case is an urgent reminder that we need meaningful investments and improvement in the services available through civil commitments to protect the public when people are a danger to themselves and others. Our thoughts go out to the injured officer, his family, and the larger White Bear Lake community,” Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a written statement.
