According to criminal charges, a Minneapolis man’s pregnant wife was a front-seat passenger when he fired almost a dozen rounds at authorities during a vehicle pursuit across multiple east-metro towns on Sunday night.
Pablo Nava Jaimes, 30, was charged with three charges of first-degree assault-use of deadly force against a peace officer and two counts of drive-by shooting-toward an occupied motor vehicle in Ramsey County District Court on Tuesday.
According to the criminal complaint, Jaimes acknowledged to shooting at cops during an interview with investigators following his detention. He expressed regret.
A Minnesota State Patrol officer attempted to stop an Oldsmobile Cutlass for speeding and driving on the shoulder of Interstate 35E near Arlington Avenue in St. Paul at 8:20 p.m. Sunday. The automobile sped away at close to 100 mph.
According to the allegations, when the chase approached County Road E on I-35E in Vadnais Heights, the motorist, subsequently identified as Jaimes, fired a shot at the trooper. The trooper and his unit were unharmed.
Jaimes then departed the highway and continued east on Minnesota Highway 96, where the chase was taken over by White Bear Lake police. From above, a State Patrol helicopter kept an eye on the chase.
According to the accusations, Jaimes slowed his automobile virtually to a stop and fired numerous bullets at two police units in the 1400 block of Birch Lake Boulevard. According to the complaint, the helicopter trooper noticed muzzle bursts coming from the driver’s side of the automobile and aimed at chasing units. The bullets did not strike the squads.
In the vicinity, officers discovered nine spent 5.56-caliber casings.
Jaimes and his wife escaped on foot from a shop in the 1100 block of Birch Lake Boulevard. Jaimes was seen fleeing with a pistol in his hand by an officer.
Canine police were led to Jaimes and his wife by the chopper. They both allegedly resisted arrest, with Jaimes being apprehended by a canine and sent to the hospital. His wife was also sent to the hospital for assessment after complaining of stomach ache.
Officers discovered a handgun in an area where Jaimes was seen throwing it over a fence by a helicopter trooper.
According to the lawsuit, no officer from any of the many law enforcement organizations engaged in the event fired a shot at Jaimes’ automobile.
Jaimes first told investigators that he had picked up a guy who had begged for a ride and that the individual had instructed him to get away from the cops and had also fired the firearms. Jaimes confirmed there was no third person in the car when told by the helicopter trooper that just he and his wife were in it. According to the allegations, he claimed that his wife had “nothing to do with it” and that she “screamed at him to stop firing.”
Jaimes went on to explain that he had consumed eight or nine beers and that they were on their way to a Maplewood buffet when the trooper attempted to detain them. According to the allegations, he acknowledged to fleeing because he “wanted to escape” and shooting at cops through the driver’s window.
According to court documents, Jaimes was driving on a suspended license and was sought on a Hennepin County arrest warrant for narcotics possession and open bottle offenses resulting from a traffic stop for speeding this past Christmas.
According to the allegations, a check of his car revealed a loaded pistol, two loaded magazines, three spent.45 caliber bullet casings, a tequila bottle, and empty beer cans. His wallet contained methamphetamine.
The warrant was issued on April 5th, the same day he failed to appear in court to face the allegations.
