The St. Paul man who authorities say deliberately drove into protesters in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood, killing a woman, has been charged with intentional second-degree murder.
Nicholas Kraus, 35, was driving drunk with a suspended license on Sunday night when he came upon protesters who had blocked off a section of Lake Street near Girard Avenue following a recent police shooting, according to the criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court.
He told police that upon seeing the barricade, he felt the need to “get over it,” the complaint said. He also told police that he did not brake; rather, he accelerated in an attempt to jump the barricade despite seeing people near it.
There’s nothing in the criminal complaint to suggest Kraus’ actions were motivated by political views or anger at protesters. The murder count alleges Kraus intended to cause death, but his actions were not premeditated. He’s also charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, for injuring two other protesters.
After the crash, police officers found Deona Marie Erickson, 31, of Minneapolis, suffering from fatal head injuries. (The Hennepin County medical examiner officially identified Erickson on Wednesday; previously, Knajdek had been reported as her last name.)
“This office is shocked by this level of violence in our streets,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement on charging Kraus. “His behavior and admittance to intentionally driving towards the protesters is one important reason why we have charged him with intentional second-degree murder.”
Kraus’ criminal record shows five prior convictions for driving while impaired. His driver’s license was canceled in 2013 because he was found to be harmful to public safety. The Jeep SUV he was driving Sunday was registered in another person’s name.
Another person who suffered injuries in the crash told police that Kraus’ SUV came barreling toward the group of protesters and hit one of the vehicles used in the barricade with such force that it was pushed back into the bystanders, including Erickson, the complaint states.
Police said protesters pulled Kraus from his vehicle and witnesses reported that demonstrators struck him. Kraus was arrested and treated for injuries.
A search warrant affidavit seeking a blood sample from Kraus says he admitted several times that he was the driver, without being asked, but when asked specific questions he gave illogical and irrelevant answers. Kraus told police his name was Jesus Christ and film director Tim Burton, that he had been a carpenter for 2,000 years, and that he wanted to get his children to the Super Bowl, the affidavit says.
An officer tried to perform a field sobriety test, but Kraus “was unable to follow directions and would not keep his eyes open long enough to complete the test,” the affidavit said.
Results from the blood tests are pending.
Kraus, who remains in the Hennepin County jail, will make his first court appearance Thursday.
There have been ongoing protests in Uptown since the June 3 shooting death of Winston Boogie Smith Jr., 32, of St. Paul, by members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force. The officers were attempting to apprehend Smith on a Ramsey County warrant for illegal gun possession when he was shot on the roof of a parking ramp near Lake and Girard.
A female passenger who was in the car with Smith says that she did not see him possess a gun. Authorities with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension have said that Smith possessed a gun at the time and had fired it.
Law enforcement involved in the incident did not wear body cameras. The BCA has said the U.S. Marshals Service does not allow officers on its North Star Fugitive Task Force to use body cameras despite a Justice Department directive in October to the contrary, and there is no squad-car camera footage of the shooting.
On Wednesday, following a request from Minneapolis officials, the Minnesota National Guard activated some 100 soldiers to assist with security in the city if needed.
On Tuesday, city crews began clearing and reopening streets near the site of Smith’s shooting and Erickson’s death, but after police left, protesters moved back in and blocked traffic. Police said that 30 people were arrested Tuesday night, with most receiving misdemeanor citations.
Lake Street was open to traffic Wednesday afternoon. Although obstructions to traffic were removed, a memorial featuring messages in chalk and flowers left by mourners remained intact.
This report includes information from the Associated Press.
