The incident on the street in St. Paul leads to fatal shootings, according to the indictment

The driver of a Toyota Corolla told police that a man made him “slow down” on the freeway in St. Paul and then followed his vehicle before fatally shooting his passenger during an ensuing fight in the city’s North End, according to am charges filed Wednesday.

The driver of the other car, Ian Loi Bursey, told police that the driver of the Corolla cut him off. The 25-year-old called 911 around 7:30 p.m. Monday and said he had been attacked in a traffic accident.

Bursey, of Minneapolis, said he shot the person who attacked him. Officers found him standing in front of his Hyundai Sonata and holding a tissue to his bleeding nose. He said a man unknown to him hit him in the face many times before firing his gun twice. He presented the police with his permit to carry a firearm.

Surveillance video showed Bursey reengaging with Tajai Evans, 26, and the driver of the Corolla after they parked in a parking lot for several minutes, according to a criminal complaint accusing Bursey of Evans’ murder .

The driver of the red Corolla in which Evans was a passenger was taking Evans to Regions Hospital when he crashed on the road in downtown St. Paul. Evans was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy revealed he died of gunshot wounds to the chest, right forearm and right thigh.

Corolla’s driver information to the police

The driver of the Corolla told police that the incident began as he and Evans were driving north on Interstate 35 near Seventh Street when a Hyundai entered the highway. He said he turned left to let the car get onto the highway and then the Hyundai stopped in front of him and “the brake checked him,” the complaint states.

The man said he moved into a different lane to get away from the Hyundai and both went off the highway at Maryland Avenue. At a red light, the driver of the Hyundai – identified as Bursey – stood next to him in the lane and accused the driver of the Corolla of cutting him off; The driver of the Corolla told him that was not the case.

The driver of the Corolla said he turned left and Bursey followed his car west on Maryland Avenue and south on Dale Street. He made a U-turn on Dale Street in the area of ​​Como and Front avenues and pulled into a shopping center parking lot to go to a tobacco store. Bursey followed him into the parking lot, threw something at the Corolla and left, the driver of the Corolla reported.

As they exited the parking lot, they saw the Hyundai pull up nearby. The Corolla driver stopped and Evans “got out to confront Bursey,” the complaint about the Corolla driver’s information states. Evans struck him as Bursey sat in his driver’s seat.

“The attack lasted three to five seconds before Bursey fired a weapon four to five times,” the complaint continues in the Corolla driver’s report. Evans got back into the Corolla and the driver began taking him to the hospital.

The driver of the Corolla said Evans had no weapons when he confronted Bursey, and “Bursey fired so quickly after (Evans) started punching, it seemed like Bursey was planning something,” the complaint states .

Another driver also spoke to investigators

Bursey agreed to speak with investigators. He could not describe what happened and later said his fear was affecting his memory.

Bursey told police he was on his way to St. Paul to drive for Lyft and Uber. He said the Corolla cut him off “about five times and he drove up to them and told them not to do that,” the complaint states. “Bursey said they laughed, pointed at him and said they would do whatever they wanted.” He said he “then went on his way.”

Bursey said the Corolla went to a store in the Como/Front/Dale area and he drove by there to get a license plate “just in case.” He said he couldn’t remember the license plate and didn’t take a photo of it or write it down. He said he parked to check his phone and try to get a ride from Lyft.

“Bursey saw them pull up in his mirror,” the complaint states. “Bursey said a man came up to him from behind and began hitting him while he was sitting in his car with the window partially rolled down. … Bursey said he tried to fight back but couldn’t. The man tried to grab Bursey’s arm. Bursey grabbed his gun, fired a round into the chamber as a warning and fired twice from inside the Hyundai.”

Bursey said he didn’t shoot to kill the man but to get rid of him. He said he believes he was hit about five times.

Investigators asked Bursey if the other man had a gun or had fired one. “Bursey said it looked like the other man, so Bursey panicked,” the complaint states.

He told police, “He looked through the window and saw the men in the other car holding their bags and being kind of sketchy,” the complaint continues. When investigators told him he couldn’t have seen someone pickpocketing in the other car, Bursey agreed.

Investigators asked why he didn’t drive away, and Bursey said he panicked. They asked if he was afraid for his life.