‘Road rage’ incident ends with man shooting passenger in another car, St. Paul murder charges say

The driver of a Toyota Corolla told police that a man "brake checked" him on the highway in St. Paul and then followed his vehicle before fatally shooting his passenger during a subsequent fight in the city's North End, according to charges filed Wednesday.

The driver of the other car, Ian Loi Bursey, told police that the Corolla's driver had cut him off. The 25-year-old called 911 about 7:30 p.m. Monday and said he'd been assaulted in a road rage incident.

Bursey, of Minneapolis, said he'd shot the person who assaulted him. Officers found him standing outside his Hyundai Sonata holding a tissue to his bleeding nose. He said a man punched him in the face an unknown number of times before he fired his gun twice. He provided police with his permit to carry a firearm.

Surveillance video showed Bursey "reengaged" with Tajai Evans, 26, and the driver of the Corolla after they'd been parked in a lot for several minutes, according to a criminal complaint charging Bursey with Evans' murder.

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

Corolla's driver information to police

The Corolla's driver told police that the incident started as he and Evans were headed north on Interstate 35 near Seventh Street when a Hyundai entered the highway. He said he moved to the left to let the car enter the highway and that's when the Hyundai pulled in front of him and "brake checked him," the complaint said.

The man said he moved to a different lane to get away from the Hyundai and both exited the highway at Maryland Avenue. At a red light, the driver of the Hyundai — identified as Bursey — was in the lane next to him and accused the Corolla's driver of cutting him off; the Corolla's driver told him he hadn't.

The Corolla's driver 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 strip mall parking lot to go to a tobacco store. Bursey followed into the lot, threw something at the Corolla and left, the Corolla's driver reported.

When they left the lot, they saw the Hyundai pulled over nearby. The Corolla driver pulled up and Evans "got out to confront Bursey," the complaint said of the Corolla driver's information. Evans punched him as Bursey sat in his driver seat.

"The assault lasted 3-5 seconds before Bursey fired a gun 4-5 times," the complaint continued of the Corolla driver's report. Evans got back in the Corolla and the driver began taking him to the hospital.

The Corolla's driver said Evans didn't have any weapons when he confronted Bursey and "Bursey shot so fast after (Evans) started punching it seemed like Bursey had been planning something," the complaint said.

Other driver also spoke to investigators

Bursey agreed to speak with investigators. He couldn't provide a narrative of what happened and later said his anxiety affects his memory.

Bursey told police he was heading to St. Paul to drive for Lyft and Uber. He said the Corolla "cut him off about 5 times, and he pulled up to them and told them not to do that," according to the complaint. "Bursey said they laughed and pointed at him and said they do what they want." He said he "then went about his way."

Bursey said the Corolla went to a store in the Como/Front/Dale area and he drove past to get a license plate number "just in case." He said he couldn't remember the plate number, and didn't take a picture of it or write it down. He said he parked to check his phone and try to get a ride on Lyft.

"Bursey saw them pull up in his mirror," the complaint said. "Bursey said a man approached him from behind and began punching him as he sat in his car with the window partially rolled down. ... Bursey said he tried to punch back, but he couldn't. The man tried to grab Bursey's arm. Bursey grabbed his firearm, racked a round into the chamber as a warning, and shot twice from inside the Hyundai."

Bursey said he had not shot to kill the man, but to get him off him. He said he thought he'd been punched about five times.

Investigators asked Bursey if the other man had a gun or fired one. "Bursey said it looked like the other man kind of did, so Bursey panicked," the complaint said.

He told police "he looked in the window and saw the men in the other car were holding their pockets and kind of sketchy," the complaint continued. When investigators told him he couldn't have seen someone grabbing their pockets in the other car, Bursey agreed.

Investigators asked why he didn't drive away and Bursey said he'd panicked. They asked if he was in fear for his life.

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"Bursey paused and repeatedly said, 'Um,'" the complaint said. "When asked multiple times if he thought his life was in danger, Bursey eventually said, 'Yeah, because he was trying to grab me, get in the car.' Bursey said he didn't know what to do."

Bursey, who is being held in the Ramsey County jail, is scheduled to make his first court appearance in the case on Thursday. An attorney wasn't listed for him in the court file as of Wednesday morning.

Last year, Bursey's father petitioned the court for appointment of a guardian or conservator for his son. The petition said Bursey had been diagnosed with schizophreniform disorder, anxiety and depression three years earlier.

Schizophreniform disorder and schizophrenia share similar symptoms, but the disorder is a short-term mental health condition, while schizophrenia is a lifelong condition, according to Cleveland Clinic .

Bursey's father withdrew his request for guardianship after reviewing a psychological report submitted to the court and based upon the doctor's recommendations in the report, according to a July letter from his attorney to the court. No guardian or conservator was appointed for Bursey.