Charges: Fmr. Prisoner Tried Grabbing Gun During Traffic Stop Arrest
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Bloomington man is accused of trying to grab a gun while violently resisting arrest Tuesday, according to the Dakota County Attorney's Office.
Akili Malik Shakur, 37, faces one felony count of possession of firearm by ineligible person, and gross misdemeanor counts of possession of a pistol without a permit and obstructing legal process in connection to the June 30 incident.
According to the criminal complaint, an officer on routine patrol in Burnsville pulled over a car after observing that it had a broken taillight, driving abnormally slow and weaving within its lane.
After initiating a traffic stop, one of the officers made contact with the driver and learned he had an active warrant. The driver was then arrested.
A second officer could see that Shakur, the passenger, appeared to be extremely nervous, was sweating and was constantly looking around like he was looking for an escape route, the complaint said.
When Shakur was asked to step out of the vehicle, he voluntarily exited, but immediately began to run from police. The first officer was able to grab his shirt, was dragged for a few feet before Shakur fell to the ground, the complaint said.
The officers attempted to get a control of Shakur, but authorities say he was actively and violently resisting. At one point, Shakur attempted to pull his arms beneath his body toward his waistband and appeared to be digging for something. The officers had to ultimately Taser him to get him to comply, the complaint said.
After handcuffing Shakur, the officers rolled him over and found a small silver semi-automatic handgun underneath his body.
Shakur has a prior conviction for second-degree murder in Hennepin County in February of 1994. He was on supervised release after serving a 300-month sentence.
If convicted, his felony charge has a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and/or a $9,000 fine.