On the morning of September 22, 2021, Mounds View, Minnesota, became the scene of a fatal encounter involving law enforcement and a suspect identified as 48-year-old Troy Allen Engstrom of Shoreview. The incident began around 10:40 a.m. when Mounds View Police Department (MVPD) officers, with assistance from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a report of a felony domestic assault at the AmericInn by Wyndham on the 2200 block of Mounds View Boulevard .

Upon arrival, officers learned that Engstrom had allegedly discharged a firearm inside the hotel room and fled the scene. Witnesses reported seeing him near the Mermaid Bar & Grill, adjacent to the hotel. Law enforcement located Engstrom approximately half a mile north, in the 5200 block of Pinewood Court .   

As officers approached, Engstrom reportedly raised a handgun and fired at the incoming squads, narrowly missing two officers and striking their vehicles. In response, a Ramsey County deputy used his squad car to incapacitate Engstrom, who was then provided medical aid and transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he later died .

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined that Engstrom died from multiple blunt force injuries due to the collision with the squad car . The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) conducted an investigation into the use of force, and the Dakota County Attorney’s Office later ruled the deputy’s actions justified .

This incident underscores the complexities law enforcement officers face when responding to volatile situations involving armed individuals. The MVPD and Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office continue to review protocols to ensure public safety and officer preparedness in such critical incidents.