3 officers who shot at gunman in St. Paul will not be charged by Ramsey County Attorney's Office

The three members of the police department in St. Paul, Minnesota, who shot at a gunman during a shooting spree last year will not be charged in the incident by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, the agency said on Monday.

Officials concluded after reviewing evidence gathered and presented by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in connection with the shooting that "the use of deadly force by Sergeant Megan Kosloske, and SPPD Officers Melissa Leistikow and Christopher Leon was legally justified under Minnesota law."

The incident happened on July 11, 2025. Police said officers responded to a house on the 1500 block of Jessamine Lane in St. Paul around 11:40 a.m. for a report of shots fired in the residence. According to the BCA, the suspect, later identified as Bellaphant, fired a gun inside the home before taking a 4-year-old child without permission and leaving.

Police later learned Bellaphant and the child were at the Aldi grocery store on the 1100 block of Clarence Street near Lake Phalen.  Leistikow and Kosloske located both people and attempted to talk to the man.

John Kelly, first assistant Ramsey County attorney, said in a memorandum explaining why he believes the use of deadly force was justified that Bellaphant "punched at" Leistikow with a juice container when she and Kosloske attempted to talk to him. He then ran toward the front of the store.

Leistikow and Kosloske were chasing Bellaphant when he suddenly fell near the registers, according to officials. As he stood up, he pulled a handgun out and fired toward the sergeant and officer, who both fired back.

Bellaphant then ran out of the store, where he allegedly fired at Leon, who had been inside his squad car. The two exchanged gunfire as Bellaphant ran across Clarence Street, the BCA says.  

Officials said Bellaphant attempted to get inside Destiny Cafe 2, a nearby restaurant. He managed to get his arm and gun inside the doors and fired at people inside, injuring a man and a woman, state law enforcement said.

Bellaphant then ran toward a nearby Cub Foods as Leon emerged from around the building. The BCA says Leon fired additional shots as he chased Bellaphant toward the grocery store.

Officers evacuated the Cub Foods after locating Bellaphant near the front area of the store. Police tried to negotiate with Bellaphant, who investigators say was expressing thoughts of suicide. He then "suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound," police said in a news release. He died at the scene. 

Bellaphant had three prior felony convictions in Minnesota, meaning he was barred from having a gun. Those convictions include domestic assault, assault with a dangerous weapon and burglary, court records show.

Kelly said the officers' use of deadly force was justified under the statute titled the authorized use of deadly force by peace officers.

"The evidence presented to us in this case makes it abundantly clear that Mr. Bellaphant initiated an intentional and immediate deadly threat towards Officer Leon outside of Aldi's as he did mere seconds earlier inside the store towards Sergeant Kosloske and Officer Leistikow," Kelly said. "In both of those situations, Mr. Bellaphant suddenly and without warning opened fire on the Three Officers in a busy grocery store and adjacent parking lot, placing their lives and the lives of numerous innocent people at significant risk."

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a response to Kelly's memorandum that he agreed with Kelly's conclusion.