Armed Suspect with Long Rifle and Explosives Barricades in South Minneapolis After Firing on Deputies Serving Warrant
SOURCE: X | @bringmethenews
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office deputies were fired upon just after 11:30 AM on June 9 while attempting to execute a Minnesota Department of Corrections arrest warrant for Tyler Joseph O'Brien, 31, at 2745 Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis. The suspect barricaded in the apartment with a long rifle and explosives, briefly held a woman and child hostage before they were released unharmed, and shot down a sheriff's drone deployed to locate him inside the building.
ANALYSIS
The underlying warrant was issued by the Minnesota Department of Corrections for illegal possession of guns and ammunition, the type of warrant typically generated when a person on supervised release violates a firearms prohibition condition. Deputies arrived at the apartment building in the Eat Street neighborhood of south Minneapolis in the midday hours; the suspect opened fire immediately upon their approach. Hennepin County confirmed the subject is armed with at minimum a long rifle. The presence of explosives, reported to FOX 9 crews on scene by law enforcement, elevates the incident significantly and is the proximate reason ATF was called in alongside the FBI.
When deputies first arrived, the suspect held a woman and child inside the apartment. Both were subsequently released and confirmed safe by authorities. At approximately 3:52 PM, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office deployed a drone to locate and assess the suspect's position within the building; the suspect identified the drone and shot it down. The building has been evacuated. Streets in the immediate area are closed. As of the time of this report, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office stated it could not affirmatively confirm that the person who fired on deputies is the same individual named in the warrant, because no contact with the suspect had been made.
The combination of explosives, a barricaded position in a multistory residential building in a dense urban neighborhood, and demonstrated willingness to engage law enforcement with rifle fire defines this as a high-risk critical incident. An uncontrolled detonation of explosive material inside a multistory residential building carries significant secondary risk to the structure and any occupants still in adjacent units.
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