Southern Minnesota man pleads guilty to federal career crime charges

Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) – A southern Minnesota man accused of opening fire on police officers during a violent home invasion in January has pleaded guilty to a federal indictment.

31-year-old Kamau Evans was arraigned in federal court days after his arrest in Minneapolis. The Mankato man broke into a North Minneapolis home on Jan. 14 by smashing a sliding glass door. According to court documents, he then attacked two of the residents with a firearm and pointed a gun at a child who was hiding in a closet while he held three people against her will.

According to court records, Minneapolis police responded to the scene and were able to remove one of the victims from the home. The officers then entered the home, protected by bulletproof shields, and were shot at when Evans appeared in a stairwell as the officers were walking up the stairs.

The complaint states that Evans escaped the home after the shooting by jumping out a bathroom window. He was captured and arrested as he attempted to flee through the backyard. A 9 mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered by Minneapolis police from the side of the garage where Evans was arrested.

The complaint also said that earlier in the day, a woman called 911 to report that a man, identified as Evans, had broken into her south Minneapolis apartment. The woman reported that she and her two children were able to escape the home safely after Evans broke a window in her bedroom.

Federal prosecutors say Evans admitted to a felony charge of illegal possession of a firearm as a career armed criminal. They say Evans, because of prior felony convictions, was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time under federal law.

No sentencing hearing has yet been scheduled.