A man who was 16 when he fatally shot his victim during a robbery attempt in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood nearly two years ago was sentenced to a 16 1/2 year in prison term.

Judge Sophia Vuelo on Monday sentenced Daeshon Lee Tucker, 18, to 16 1/2 years for fatally shooting 24-year-old Marcus Darnell Miller in 2022. Ramsey County prosecutors charged Tucker with two counts of second degree murder, but he pleaded guilty to a single murder count days before a his jury trial was scheduled to begin.

With credit for time served, he is scheduled for release in 2033 with the remainder of the term on supervised release.

Charging documents say Miller was out getting drinks with his girlfriend in the area of Edmund Avenue W. and Grotto Street N. when Tucker and a driver, wearing ski-masks and armed with handguns, drove over a sidewalk to cut off the couple. Miller’s girlfriend ran to hide behind his vehicle and record what happened. She told investigators that men searched Miller, telling him that he owed people money. Miller turned and ran but the two men shot at him until Miller collapsed near the vehicle.

The shooters fled. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner later confirmed that Miller died from blood loss caused by a gunshot wound to his back.

Investigators tracked and arrested Tucker weeks later through surveillance footage and a palm print which tied him to the crime.

Comments on Tucker’s social media pages at the time also suggested that he killed Miller. One post made days after the murder read: “He tried ta run and he tripped.” The post was followed by a ninja assassin emoji.

“This description is consistent with Miller’s movements as he tried to escape from the shooters,” charging documents said. “Officers commented that they did not think the murder was supposed to happen that way, to which Tucker replied, ‘It wasn’t supposed to happen at all.’”

The officer saw a pistol in Nixon’s left hand and drew his handgun in response. The officer retreated down the steps while ordering Nixon to drop his weapon.

Nixon put the gun to his head and again said repeatedly to the officer “just shoot me.” Nixon went back in the home. The officer kicked at the door and confirmed it was locked.

A police emergency response team arrived outside. Nixon opened his door, said “she is not OK” and made other comments about him shooting her. While standing at the top of the stairs, he fired one shot in the air. An emergency response team member fired a less lethal round that sent Nixon falling back into his home, but he managed to lock himself back in his residence.

After three hours of negotiation, Nixon put down his gun, walked out of the apartment and surrendered. Police entered the home and found Broyld on her back on a couch. She had been shot 10 times in the back.

Court records in Minnesota show that Nixon’s criminal history includes a conviction in 2021 for carrying a gun in public without a permit.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In July 2022, the nationwide phone number 988 was established to give people experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health or substance-use crisis to speak, text or chat with a trained counselor.

A 39-year-old man has agreed to a $50,000 payment to settle his lawsuit that accused a Willmar police officer of an unlawful arrest based on race, the man’s legal representative announced Tuesday.

Christopher Flatten and the city were sued in June by Derrick Gilbert, of Willmar, on allegations that he was illegally arrested two years earlier.

The “walking while Black” arrest, as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called it, occurred when Flatten assumed Gilbert, who was walking to work, was another man, despite Flatten being unable to see Gilbert’s face, the suit alleged.

The ACLU said Flatten assumed Gilbert was another Black man he knew who was seven years younger, 4 inches shorter, 90 pounds heavier and has a much lighter complexion. The ACLU also alleged that Flatten knew the other man through “multiple interactions [and] knew what he looked like.”

In response to the suit at the time it was filed, the defense said Flatten “was acting in his official capacity as a … police officer and performing discretionary acts in the scope of his duties with a good faith belief his conduct was lawful, constitutional, proper and pursuant to probable cause.”

Gilbert said in a statement released Tuesday by the ACLU that “it was horrible to be walking to work and be accused of being a completely different Black man. I hope this will stop other officers from doing this to other Black men in Minnesota.”

ACLU attorney Ian Bratlie also issued a statement Tuesday that read, “We’re happy to have helped Derrick and sorry that he had to go through this. Black men should not have to worry about being over-policed in our society. It’s unjust, evil and un-American.”

The attorney representing the city and Flatten has been asked why the defendants chose to settle the suit, rather than go on trial.