A Minneapolis man is facing multiple felony charges after an incident where he allegedly pointed a firearm at St. Paul police officers, who shot him in the leg. Elliot Samuels Vaughn, 32, was charged with first-degree assault against a peace officer, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and theft of a motor vehicle.
According to a KSTP report, Vaughn is accused of breaking open a lockbox to steal the keys to a Buick rental car from a Minneapolis parking garage last Saturday. Police were notified of the theft by General Motors, which had tracked the vehicle to an area near Highway 52 and Interstate 94 in St. Paul. GM took active measures to slow and immobilize the stolen vehicle, ultimately resulting in Vaughn's attempt to flee.
As the events unfolded on Sunday, Vaughn and an unnamed female passenger abandoned the Buick when authorities, having effectively stopped the car using GM's remote slowdown capability, approached. A criminal complaint cited Vaughn reaching into his pants, allegedly for a handgun, which he then pointed at the officers. The officers, Matthew Foy and Byron Treangen III, responded by firing at Vaughn, hitting him in the thigh. Bring Me The News highlighted that no other injuries were reported during the incident.
Following the confrontation, Vaughn was transported to Regions Hospital for medical attention and later booked into the Ramsey County Jail with his bail set at $200,000. Meanwhile, officers Foy and Treangen have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension continues to investigate the use-of-force incident. Their findings are expected to be reviewed by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
Vaughn's court appearance for these charges has been scheduled, wherein he will respond to the allegations laid against him. In a climate where police shootings frequently ignite debate and scrutiny, the facts surrounding this particular altercation and the decisions involving the use of force will undergo close examination in the court proceedings to follow.
