Man charged with attempted murder, assault in shooting of White Bear Lake officer

The man who allegedly fired at four White Bear Lake police officers attempting to serve an arrest warrant Tuesday, striking and seriously injuring one of them, now stands charged with attempted murder and multiple assault counts.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged Daniel Holmgren Jr., 33, with attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer and four counts of first-degree assault on a peace officer in connection with Tuesday's incident that led to an hourslong standoff.

The injured officer has not been named but is in stable condition after receiving emergency surgery for gunshot wounds to his leg, stomach and pelvis. Ramsey County Attorney Jon Choi sent his thoughts to the officer, his family and the White Bear Lake community in a statement released Thursday.

"This case is an urgent reminder that we need meaningful investments and improvement in the services available through civil commitments to protect the public when people are a danger to themselves and others," Choi's statement read.

According to the criminal complaint filed Thursday:

Four officers went to Holmgren's apartment Tuesday with a warrant to arrest him on a domestic assault charge. He had failed to appear in court and had previously threatened to shoot police officers.

The officers entered the apartment with a family member's permission and announced themselves to Holmgren. He was in his bedroom with the door closed. Police declared they had warrants for his arrest when Holmgren yelled at them.

Charges say he refused to come out and that he said he was ready to die.

That's when Holmgren fired toward the bedroom door, striking an officer several times. Officers fired back and retreated, launching a two-hour standoff that involved law enforcement from several agencies — including SWAT teams from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and St. Paul Police Department.

Residents were evacuated. As negotiators tried to coax Holmgren to surrender, the complaint says he continued to make threats about killing law enforcement.

SWAT teams used a robot to fire tear gas into the apartment. Hours later, Holmgren surrendered and was arrested without injury. No residents were injured.

Police recovered a Smith and Wesson 9mm firearm from a bathroom next to Holmgren's bedroom. There was a live round in the gun's chamber, but the magazine was empty.

Holmgren's first court appearance will be Friday morning at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center. Prosecutors have asked that his bail be set at $3 million.

He was previously arrested for domestic assault and weapons charges on June 20, 2020. Holmgren said he would have been ready if he knew police were called that day, adding that "it would have been a different story."

Records for two civil commitment cases associated with the domestic assault case in 2021 show that Holmgren was committed to hospitals several times for mental illness in 2020-22. He was also committed in 2008 in Chisago County.

Staff writer Louis Krauss contributed to this report.