Fugitive woman charged after pointing gun at cops and leading officers on pursuit in Carver County

A woman who allegedly pointed a handgun at police officers on Tuesday before she sped away and later crashed in Chanhassen is facing multiple felonies, according to charges filed in Carver County District Court.

Amanda Lindsey Nelson, 33, of Bloomington, did not comply with orders from law enforcement to exit the SUV she was driving after it rolled over in a snowbank on southbound Hwy. 41 near Hwy. 5 just after 7 p.m. Nelson kept police at bay for 4½ hours before she was removed and taken to the Carver County Jail, the charges said.

Nelson was charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of fleeing police in a vehicle and one count of being a fugitive from another state. She also will be extradited to Winnebago County, Illinois, to face charges of aggravated assault of a peace officer, use of a deadly weapon and domestic battery, the charges said.

According to the complaint:

A South Lake Minnetonka Police Department officer attempted to stop Nelson in the vicinity of Morse Avenue in Excelsior after running a license plate check and learning about her outstanding warrant. When she failed to stop, the officer intervened, but Nelson kept going and drove down an embankment into the parking lot of the North Coop restaurant.

A second officer arrived and struck Nelson’s vehicle, which sent it spinning. At that point, Nelson pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the officer, who can be heard on his body camera saying “Gun, gun gun. She’s got a gun. She just pointed a gun at me.”

The officer who initiated the pursuit also rammed Nelson’s vehicle again, which then went behind the restaurant. As that officer tried to get out of his squad car to arrest Nelson, she drove toward him and pointed the barrel of a handgun at the officer. The officer ducked and fired five shots through the squad’s windshield and front passenger window.

Nelson gained control of her vehicle and drove south on Hwy. 41 until she crashed just north of 82nd Street.

Police found a knife in Nelson’s pocket when taking her into custody and a loaded Smith & Wesson BB gun air pistol that resembled a handgun near the driver’s side window.

Nelson has a previous conviction in Hennepin County for fleeing police and terrorist threats-reckless disregard.