Matson shooter pleads guilty to 2 attempted murder charges

WASECA, Minn. (KEYC) — The man charged with shooting at Waseca police officers and seriously injuring one of them in January entered a guilty plea in Waseca County Court Thursday.

Tyler Robert Janovsky, 37, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder as the victim, officer Arik Matson, continues to recover at a rehab facility in Nebraska.

The incident happened more than six months ago on Jan. 6.

Waseca police responded to a suspicious person call on Third Avenue in waseca.

That’s when Janovsky shot at officers, hitting officer Matson in the head.

Since then, Matson has undergone reconstructive surgery and months of therapy.

According to the criminal complaint, Janovsky also shot at two other officers -- prompting a total of three attempted murder charges.

One of those charges was dropped, along with a firearms charge during Thursday’s hearing.

Janovsky will be back in court on Sept. 18 to be sentenced. Until then, he is being held at Oak Park Heights Correctional Facility, the highest custody level in the state’s correctional system.

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