Attempted murder and other charges were filed Monday against a 38-year-old man accused of firing at least five gunshots and wounding a police officer outside a home in Brooklyn Park before he was struck by returning gunfire.
Tyrice D. Laws of Crystal was charged in Hennepin County District Court with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, violation of a court order for protection and a weapons violation in connection with the shootout Friday night in the 6500 block of N. Georgia Avenue.
Laws was arrested and remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail ahead of a court appearance Tuesday. Court records do not list an attorney for him.
According to the criminal complaint:
From her surveillance livestream, the mother of Laws' children saw a vehicle pull into her driveway in Brooklyn Park while she and her children were elsewhere. Laws called her and demanded to see the children.
She called 911 to report he was there, a violation of an order of protection against him. The filing in that case alleged that he punched her in the face and swung her around by her hair in a hotel room in November 2019, leaving injuries serious enough for her to be taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Two officers arrived in separate squad cars and approached Laws' vehicle from each side. Neither had their service weapons drawn.
Laws exited his car, bent down and reached into his vehicle before standing back up. He soon reached down again, pulled out a handgun, and pointed it at one of the officers.
He shot five or six times at one officer, with the first shot fired when he was no more than 7 feet away from his intended target. Both officers returned fire.
Officer Andrew McComb, an 18-year veteran of the Brooklyn Park Police Department, was taken to the hospital and treated for a gunshot wound, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. McComb has since been released from the hospital.
The BCA identified the second officer as Elisha Dwyer, who has worked for the Police Department for 18 months. The two officers are on standard administrative leave.
Both officers declined to be interviewed by the BCA,but they indicated they would provide a written statement.
Laws was arrested in what a police statement described as "after an extensive law enforcement search." He was taken to HCMC for a gunshot wound to his left arm and was then moved to the jail.
Laws also faces charges from last year involving domestic assault with the same woman.
Staff writer Ryan Faircloth contributed to this report.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
