Ramsey County deputy cleared in fatal collision

A Ramsey County deputy who fatally ran over an armed man in a Mounds View neighborhood with his squad SUV in September was justified in his use of force, a review by Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena has found.

The deputy, Sgt. Don Rindal, was assisting the Mounds View Police Department on a call about an armed suicidal guest around 10:40 a.m. on Sept. 22. Several law enforcement agencies later identified Troy Allen Engstrom as the subject of the call. A Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation summary said Engstrom, 48, fired shots at Rindal and Mounds View police officer Nick Erickson.

"The use of deadly force by a peace officer is justified to protect the officer or another person from death or great bodily harm," Keena said in a statement about her decision not to file criminal charges against Rindal. "It is my conclusion that given the facts and circumstances of this incident, it was objectively reasonable for Sgt. Rindal to believe Mr. Engstrom posed a deadly threat to him, to Officer Erickson and to members of the public at the time he struck Mr. Engstrom with his squad."

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office requested that Keena's office conduct the use of force review since Rindal was acting as a Ramsey County employee. He's been with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office since 1999.

The Dakota County Attorney's Office reviewed the BCA investigative file to make its determination.

According to the summary of the BCA file:

Several Mounds View police officers responded to the AmericInn by Wyndham hotel in the 2200 block of Mounds View Boulevard around 6:20 a.m. on Sept. 22 after a report of a suicidal man in a room registered to Engstrom. A hotel employee told officers that Engstrom's girlfriend, who was with him in the room but is not named in the summary, said he had been threatening to commit suicide with her semiautomatic 9-millimeter handgun.

Officers left the scene after they were not able to reach Engstrom's girlfriend, since she had left the hotel.

His girlfriend later contacted the hotel to check in on Engstrom. She recalled him saying, "I'm going to shoot myself. I'm gonna die today." Engstrom pointed the gun at her after she said he'd have to kill her, too, but she left the room before a shot was fired. After she left, she heard a gunshot.

Once Mounds View Police Deputy Chief Ben Zender learned that Engstrom fired a gun in the room, he directed officers to arrest him. Mounds View officers reported to the hotel again around 10:40 a.m. and requested assistance from Rindal, but Engstrom was no longer at the hotel.

Erickson found Engstrom near the intersection of County Road H2 and Jackson Drive. Erickson parked his marked squad car a block away, turned on his emergency lights and positioned his body behind the opened driver's door. He then commanded Engstrom to put his hands up and stop walking toward him.

That's when Engstrom shot at Erickson, striking his car above the driver's side windshield. Engstrom then turned and fired at Rindal, who had arrived on scene and witnessed the initial shot fired. The bullet struck the hood of his vehicle below the driver's side windshield.

In response, Rindal turned his vehicle and drove headfirst into Engstrom, who was still pointing the gun at him. The force propelled Engstrom through the fence of a nearby home.

The BCA corroborated statements provided by Rindal, Erickson and other officers involved using hotel surveillance footage, body-worn camera footage and statements from witnesses at the Bear Lot, a used car lot and service garage across from the scene.

"Had I not taken immediate action, I believe the suspect would have continued to approach the Mounds View Police Officer, and would have shot at him at close range and likely killed him," Rindal wrote in a statement to the BCA in lieu of an interview. "He had shot only twice that I was aware of. The suspect showed no sign of stopping. Had I not driven at him and hit him, I believe he would have also continued to fire his handgun at me."

According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, Engstrom died that afternoon at HCMC of multiple blunt force injuries suffered in the collision.