A Brooklyn Park man was charged Tuesday with first-degree assault, accused of beating a police officer last weekend and attempting to take the officer's gun.
The handgun went off during the struggle, but no one was struck by the bullet. A police-car camera recorded the beating, according to the criminal complaint.
Lance Cedric Carr, 25, is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday, according to the Hennepin County attorney's office.
The incident began when the Brooklyn Park officer responded to a complaint of loud noise coming from a parked car early Sunday morning. When the officer arrived, he found Carr, who was alone in the car and had a warrant for his arrest.
The officer asked Carr to step out of the car, and Carr turned and threw a punch. The punch missed, but Carr grabbed the officer and they both fell to the ground.
"The squad-car camera recorded Carr landing numerous punches and elbows to the officer's head. Carr also used a choke hold on the officer and then appeared to go for his gun. The gun did discharge, but no one was hit by the bullet," according to the county attorney's office.
During the assault, Carr yelled, "I am going to [expletive] kill you," according to the complaint.
Additional officers arrived and used a Taser to subdue Carr. The injured officer, who is not named in court documents, was taken away by paramedics on a stretcher.
Shannon Prather
