MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Maplewood man who led police on a high-speed chase is the prime suspect in a murder, according to police.
The murder happened at a home located on 855 E. 4th St. in St. Paul. On Tuesday, Nov. 26, police responded to the home and found the victim dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim had a party where people were drinking and doing drugs. In attendance was a man by the name of “Brandon,” who left for a short time but later returned and then allegedly shot victim.
Investigators found a silver metal rod on the victim’s body. It was later determined to be part of a gun.
Three days later, officers attempted to pull over the driver of a Chrysler 300 with a broken rear passenger window. St. Paul Police officers suspected the car may have been stolen.
The driver then led officers on a chase and eventually stopped after he struck a parked car. The driver, later identified as Brandon Gerard Christopher, 19, then exited the car holding a silver handgun.
Officers opened fire and wounded Christopher. He was taken to Regions Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the two officers were placed on a three-day leave.
A closer look at the suspect’s handgun revealed the extractor rod was missing. Investigators believe it’s the same rod found on the Maplewood victim’s body.
“Investigators were looking for a particular party in question,” said Sgt. Paul Paulos. “They knew what kind of gun they were possibly looking for. They work very closely in that unit and what they started to do was go back and forth with details of those incidents.”
Christopher later confessed to police he killed the man three days earlier. He’s now charged with two counts of second-degree murder, second-degree assault and fleeing police in a vehicle.
