Owatonna man identified from recent officer-involved shooting

The man accused of shooting at law enforcement before attempting to take his own life following a four-hour standoff in Owatonna on July 1 has been identified as Trevor Michael Lutz, 36, of Owatonna.

Lutz has been charged with two counts of attempted murder in the first degree, one count of assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree and one count of fleeing a peace officer, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint filed by Capt. Joshua Sorensen alleges that officers were called to the 500 block of S. Oak Ave. in Owatonna at 8:20 p.m. to conduct a welfare check on Lutz, who had reportedly been engaging in self-harm.

According to the complaint, officers Iris Reyes Mijares and Connor Macdonald found Lutz in his vehicle at 9:20 p.m. exhibiting what appeared to be recent self-inflicted cuts to his upper arms. Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, but Lutz was allegedly uncooperative, refused to exit the vehicle and stated that he did not want to be placed on a medical hold and just wanted to see his children, the complaint states.

Officers Melissa Michael and Benjamin Metcalf also responded to the scene, according to the complaint. Officer Michael allegedly placed stop sticks under one of Lutz’s tires before he attempted to roll up the vehicle’s windows and began reaching for his center console, which prompted Metcalf to deploy pepper balls into the vehicle.

Following the deployment of pepper balls, Lutz allegedly fired at officers with what has since been determined to be a 9mm Sig Sauer P320 handgun before fleeing to the 200 block of McKinley Avenue, where he exited his vehicle and allegedly fired at Officer Alan Callahan, who had been in pursuit, before returning to his vehicle, where he remained for the remainder of the standoff, according to the complaint.

A perimeter was established, and a shelter-in-place warning was sent by Rice and Steele counties.

According to the complaint, Lutz reportedly kept the gun pointed at himself and made several phone calls during the engagement, allegedly telling those on the other end of the line, “This is the end,” and “I’m about to die.”

Multiple attempts were made by law enforcement to bring the standoff to an end, including the deployment of a drone, at which Lutz allegedly pointed his firearm, the complaint states.

Lutz allegedly shot himself in the abdomen at about 12:17 a.m. on July 2 and was immediately rushed to the emergency room, where he remains with non-life-threatening injuries under law enforcement custody. At the time of his arrest, Lutz had two magazines of handgun ammunition in his pocket, according to the complaint.

In custody following a Miranda warning, Lutz has allegedly made various incriminating statements to detectives. According to the complaint, Lutz said he was upset because his ex-girlfriend had a new boyfriend whom he did not want around his children, and he had purchased the firearm from a private party two weeks before the incident.

Lutz’s prior criminal history includes two convictions for violation of a restraining order, for which he was sentenced to 90 days in the Steele County Jail, though 88 days were stayed, and he was given credit for two days served before being placed on supervised probation for one year monitored by Steele County Community Corrections, according to court records.

When served with search warrants for his vehicle, Lutz allegedly told OPD Detective Brady Vaith, “I should have aimed higher,” the complaint states.

Steele County Attorney Robert J. Jarrett made a statement via his office’s press release:

“We are profoundly grateful that, despite the extreme danger they faced, the officers were not physically injured. Their swift response helped prevent what could have been an even greater tragedy. The actions of this individual created an extraordinary risk to public safety. Our office is working closely with law enforcement partners to ensure this case is thoroughly investigated.”

Lutz’s first court appearance will be at the Steele County District Court but has not yet been scheduled.