ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified the officers who discharged their firearms during an officer involved shooting incident that happened on Monday, November 4, in Cottage Grove. Both are on standard administrative leave.
- Cottage Grove Police Captain Gwen Martin, 18 years of service.
- Woodbury Sergeant Omar Maklad, 16 years of service.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner has identified the man who died during the incident. Noah Ante Erickson, 34, of White Bear Lake, died of suicide due to a gunshot wound, according to the medical examiner.
Erickson kidnapped a woman at gunpoint from the parking lot of her Maplewood workplace at approximately 6 a.m. on Monday, forcing her to drive them to her St. Paul residence. According to information from the St. Paul Police Department, Erickson bound the woman and her roommate and assaulted her roommate. Erickson then left the scene in the assault victim’s stolen vehicle.
Erickson abandoned the woman’s vehicle in the Hidden Valley Neighborhood in Cottage Grove. He carjacked a second vehicle at gunpoint from a man in that neighborhood at approximately 8:30 a.m.
Erickson abandoned the second vehicle a few blocks away on Hidden Valley Trail South and fled on foot, eventually entering a residence at 7471 Hidden Valley Court South carrying a handgun. Two adults and two children were inside the home. After a short time in the home Erickson entered the home’s garage, at which point the home’s residents fled through the front door. Erickson stole a pickup truck from the garage and left the home.
Law enforcement attempting to locate Erickson had converged on the neighborhood. When Erickson fled in the pickup, he drove around police barricades and across yards, eventually crashing into a tree several houses away.
After crashing the vehicle, Erickson exited the vehicle and exchanged gunfire during a confrontation with law enforcement before turning the gun on himself. Officers attempted lifesaving measures but Erickson died at the scene.
Portions of the incident were captured on body cameras, dash cameras, and surveillance cameras. BCA crime scene personnel later recovered a gun from near Erickson.
Other law enforcement at the scene included officers from the St. Paul, St. Paul Park and Woodbury police departments, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol.
The Maplewood and St. Paul police departments are investigating the incidents involving the kidnapping and assault. The BCA is investigating the officer involved shooting. When the BCA’s investigation is complete, the BCA will turn its findings over without recommendation to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review.
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