Marlon Collins Charged With Attempted Murder For Allegedly Firing At Golden Valley Officer

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Brooklyn Park man faces attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting at a Golden Valley police officer while fleeing.

Thirty-year-old Marlon Collins is charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and prohibited possession of a firearm, according to court documents filed in Hennepin County.

A criminal complaint states a Golden Valley officer responded to an attempted burglary Feb. 16 around 9:20 p.m. on the 3000 block of Lee Avenue North.

When the officer arrived, he saw a "suspicious vehicle" sitting in a nearby intersection, the complaint states, with a man matching the alleged burglar's description inside.

The officer tried to stop the vehicle, but the complaint states the driver sped away, reaching speeds of nearly 70 mph and fleeing several blocks before crashing.

After the crash, the driver got out of the car and started firing a handgun at the pursuing officer, the complaint alleges. The officer was not hit by gunfire.

The driver -- later identified as Collins -- was found hiding in a bush nearby, the complaint states. Investigators said he was suspected of breaking into multiple homes in the area.

The complaint states that, after the shooting and before his arrest, he broke into a garage in the area and hid the pistol, which had a "switch" to make it fire automatically.

The complaint also accuses Collins of stealing two safes from a home in the area before the incident with the officer.