The suspect charged with felony assault in connection with a shooting that happened in Alexandria last Friday, Dec. 11 has been arrested.
Jacob Donavan Nelson, 34, of Alexandria was taken into custody at about 5:20 p.m. Friday night, Dec. 18 at a residence in Pope County without incident, according to the Alexandria Police Chief Scott Kent.
Assisting with the police department with the arrest were the Pope County Sheriffs Office, Douglas County Sheriffs Office, Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, West Central SWAT and Douglas County SWAT.
Nelson faces felony charges of first-degree assault and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in relation to the incident, which took place on the 1600 block of Seventh Avenue East.
An Osakis man, Joshua Robles, 24, is recovering in a St. Cloud hospital after being shot in the back.
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According to the criminal complaint, here’s what happened:
About 2:26 p.m., police officers responded to a reported physical altercation between two men in the roadway near County Road 82 and McKay Avenue. Minutes later, dispatch received a report that a man, later identified as Robles, had been shot and was laying in the street at 1616 Seventh Ave. E.
Responding officers located Robles and determined that he had been shot in the back. Robles was taken to Alomere Health and then to CentraCare Hospital in St. Cloud, where he remained hospitalized as of Monday, Dec. 14.
Witnesses reported that the shooter had been driving a black Chevrolet pickup truck west on Seventh Avenue. The victim was walking the same direction on that street when the driver reached out the driver’s window and began shooting at the victim with a black handgun, according to the complaint.
Witnesses stated they heard five to six shots. Officers found five shell casings from a handgun. A male passenger was also observed in the pickup truck.
Officers found the passenger, identified as James Tousignant. Tousignant stated that Robles and Nelson had been fighting outside of a residence at 505 McKay Ave. After the fight, Robles began to walk south. Tousignant stated that Nelson pursued Robles and began shooting at him from his truck. Nelson then sped west on 7th Avenue. Tousignant told Nelson to let him out of the truck. Tousignant was able to get out of the truck about two blocks from the shooting, according to the complaint.
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Nelson's criminal history includes convictions for assault and fleeing an officer and fled from Pope County authorities in 2016
