ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – A suspect shot by police in St. Paul last Friday has been charged with attempted murder, according to court documents filed Tuesday in Ramsey County.
Cory Anthony Lee, 37 of St. Paul, was charged with one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of ineligible possession of a firearm in connection with the March 21 incident. According to the charges, the shooting happened at about 10 a.m. on the 600 block of East Maryland Avenue.
Officers were called to the residence to execute a search warrant as Lee was wanted in connection with a shooting three days earlier. Police made a forced entry after attempts to call Lee were unsuccessful, and when they spotted him he was in a shooting position with both hands up holding a gun, according to the complaint.
The complaint states Lee fired his gun at officers, who returned fire. Lee called out to officers that he had been shot, and SWAT medical personnel treated him before he was taken into custody. He had suffered a minor gunshot wound to his left arm. No officers were hurt in the incident.
According to the complaint, Lee told officers in an ambulance on the way to the hospital without being prompted that he had a gun because he had been robbed a few weeks before. He told police his daughters were frightened and he was trying to protect them. When police arrived, he said he thought they were robbers trying to kill him and he just started firing.
His neighbors told police he sold marijuana and had been robbed about a week before, the complaint states.
Lee had previously been convicted of criminal sexual conduct in Illinois, which made it illegal for him to possess a firearm.
Lee was also charged with one count of second-degree assault and another count of illegally possessing a firearm in connection with a March 18 incident. Lee is accused of shooting at another man who had purchased marijuana from him, then introduced Lee to a man whole stole marijuana from him, the complaint states.
If convicted on all charges, Lee faces more than 50 years in prison and/or $74,000 in fines.
