Officer shoots and kills suspect after being dragged in DWI stop

By Will Ashenmacher and Josh Verges
St. Paul Pioneer Press
FRIDLEY - A New Brighton man was fatally shot Friday night in Fridley after he dragged a police officer in an attempt to leave a traffic stop on Interstate 694.
Lino Lakes Police Sgt. William Owens was working as part of a driving while impaired “saturation detail” when he pulled over a vehicle driven by Sam Matthew Holmes, 31, for speeding on westbound I-694 at University Avenue, according to a news release from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Holmes began to resist when Owens tried to place him under arrest for outstanding warrants and suspicion of driving while impaired, the release said. A struggle ensued, and Owens used a Taser on Holmes, who re-entered his vehicle and tried to drive away, dragging Owens along.
Owens fired his weapon and fatally struck Holmes, according to the BCA release.
The vehicle left the roadway, went through a fence and came to a stop in the parking lot of a Cub Foods grocery store on the northwest corner of University and I-694.
Holmes died at the scene.
The officer was taken to Regions Hospital, where he was treated and released for injuries suffered while being dragged, the BCA said.
Court records show Holmes had been convicted of DWI after a 2012 arrest.
Owens has been a Lino Lakes police officer for nine years, the BCA said. He is on administrative leave while the BCA investigates the shooting.
The incident is under investigation by the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Patrol, the police departments of Lino Lakes and Fridley and the BCA.
The Anoka County Attorney’s Office will review the BCA’s investigation once it is complete.
The Pioneer Press is a media partner with Forum News Service.