South Minneapolis Man Fired 20 Rounds at Police, Prosecutors Say; Faces 21 Felony Counts

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Minneapolis man fired up to 20 rounds at law enforcement officers through the walls, windows and doors of a Nicollet Avenue apartment June 9, prosecutors say, according to charges filed this week in Hennepin County District Court.

Tyler Joseph O'Brien, 31, faces 18 counts of first-degree assault against a peace officer and three counts of illegal firearm possession by a felon. Each assault count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years with no supervised release.

Hennepin County sheriff's deputies went to the apartment around 11:19 a.m. after receiving a tip that O'Brien, who had an active felony warrant on a prior weapons offense, was armed and staying there.

After deputies announced themselves and O'Brien refused to come to the door, they used a camera to look underneath it and observed him standing in a shooting stance, aiming what appeared to be a handgun directly at the door.

O'Brien then fired through the door as a deputy ran past, according to the complaint. Officers retreated to the parking lot as additional shots rang out from inside. Over the next six to seven hours, O'Brien continued firing on officers and armored vehicles from multiple positions and threatened negotiators by phone, claiming he also had a hand grenade, the complaint states.

The building and nearby businesses were evacuated. Among those removed was a 3-year-old child who had been inside the apartment with O'Brien during the shooting.

O'Brien eventually surrendered. Officers recovered three firearms: a Ruger 5.7 FN pistol, a Ruger GP100 .357 magnum and a .380 ACP Derringer. Court records show O'Brien has a prior first-degree assault conviction from Nebraska in 2015, which bars him from possessing firearms.

Bail was set at $1 million.