Police Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Woman Tried to Shoot MN Trooper in the Head, Court Documents Say

A driver who was wounded in an officer-involved shooting Monday on Interstate 94 tried to shoot a Minnesota State Patrol trooper in the head before being shot herself in the arm, according to court documents.

March 9, 2018
2 min to read


A driver who was wounded in an officer-involved shooting Monday on Interstate 94 tried to shoot a Minnesota State Patrol trooper in the head before being shot herself in the arm, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Clay County District Court documents filed in the case of a male passenger.

Trooper Mark Peterson stopped Monday morning to help the woman, identified as Melody Victoria Gray, 30, and her male passenger, Domonique Maurice Crayton, 29, both of Milwaukee, who were in a car that had slid into the median a few miles east of Moorhead, the BCA said.

Ad Loading...

While Peterson worked to verify the apparently false information given by the car’s occupants, he learned the car had been reported stolen in Germantown, Wis., so he positioned his squad car to prevent the disabled car from driving away. Peterson then asked Crayton to get out of the car, the BCA said.

As Peterson tried to handcuff Crayton, Gray got out of the driver’s seat and, with her right arm extended, pointed a 9mm handgun at the trooper’s head and appeared to pull the trigger, court documents said. The gun, however, did not fire, reports the Pioneer Press.

Meanwhile, the woman tried to manipulate the handgun to chamber a round and raised the gun again toward the trooper. The trooper then fired his weapon and hit her in the right arm, court documents said.

The woman then dropped the gun and ran across I-94 and north into a field, court documents and the BCA said. She reportedly dropped a gun that Peterson then recovered.

Gray was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound, the bureau said.

Ad Loading...

Peterson was not injured, the BCA said.

Both Gray and Crayton had warrants out for their arrest on multiple charges.

Crayton appeared in court Wednesday and kept insisting his name was Donald Moor El. “I’m of a sovereign nation,” Crayton declared, saying he was of a Moorish Nation of Islam. “How can I conduct business with you?”

More Patrol

Police drone hovering over its charging nest against a blue sky background.
PatrolMarch 26, 2026

Brinc Unveils Guardian, Launching the Next Era of Drone as First Responder

Brinc’s new Guardian delivers 24/7 operations, Starlink connectivity, and a robotic charging nest that can swap batteries and change payload configurations without human intervention.

Read More →
image of trooper, shown from waist down, standing beside a police cruiser along the road and at right a headline Slow Down Move Over.
PatrolMarch 19, 2026

Colorado State Patrol Releases 2025 Struck-By Analysis

The Colorado State Patrol, after analyzing its 2025 struck-by incidents, identified one area for improvement: using traffic cones to provide advanced warning before the cruiser's location. Here is the agency’s final data.

Read More →
Image of a group of men in business attire receiving an award set against a black background and a Streamlight logo up top.
PatrolMarch 19, 2026

Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year

Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Image of a group of men in business attire receiving an award set against a black background and a Streamlight logo up top.
PatrolMarch 19, 2026

Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year

Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.

Read More →
DArk backgroundn with inset images of a fallen police officer and a ballistic helmet and headline Rife-Rated.
PatrolMarch 19, 2026

The Mission After the Moment

The mission of the Jorge Pastore Foundation is to support first responders through essential training, stronger community engagement, and mental wellness resources, all accessible and funded through donations, sponsorships, and foundation-led fundraising. It works closely with Team Wendy in the discussions about developing better protective gear for officers.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for Patrolfinder featuring a police chief’s headshot inside a circular frame alongside a police SUV in the background. The headline reads: “Built for Patrol: How One Police Chief Fixed Communication, Boosted Visibility, and Changed the Culture.”
SponsoredMarch 17, 2026

Built for Patrol: How One Police Chief Fixed Communication, Boosted Visibility, and Changed the Culture

Patrol work hasn’t changed—but the expectations on officers have. See how one police chief helped officers get the right information at the right time, improve patrol visibility, and strengthen trust without adding complexity or surveillance. This real-world story shows how patrol-driven technology can make the job safer, smarter, and more effective—starting on day one.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Man in a blue blazer lifting his shirt to reveal a concealed handgun in a waistband holster while standing outdoors.
WeaponsMarch 2, 2026

Safariland Solis Rethinks Concealable Duty

What if Level I retention didn’t require a full duty rig? Safariland’s Solis delivers trusted ALS security in a streamlined OWB platform built for administrative and plainclothes professionals who need protection without the bulk.

Read More →
Woman kneeling with a Bloodhound in front of a white pickup truck.
PatrolMarch 1, 2026

K-9s Play a Critical Role in Finding Missing Persons

Real-world scenarios show that a tracking canine can detect and follow a human track several hours after it was made.

Read More →
Black background with image of police car light bar, logo for POLICE Topics, Tactics & Tips, and headline What are the latest law enforcement boots from Garmont Tactical?
Patrolby Wayne ParhamFebruary 25, 2026

Garmont Tactical’s LE Boot Lineup

In this video, we get a look at the latest law enforcement boots from Garmont Tactical, both for men and women. Kyle Ferdyn, sales manager, showcases four of the latest boots.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Person in protective CMRN suit and breathing gear.
PatrolFebruary 18, 2026

Avon Protection Launches EXOSKIN-S2 High-Performance CBRN Protective Suit

With the commercial availability of Avon Protection’s EXOSKIN-S2, users now have increased options for their protective suit requirements across the spectrum of CBRN threat environments.

Read More →