BCA identifies officer who shot man at St. Paul apartment during sexual assault response

1 hurt in St. Paul officer involved shooting

A man was shot and wounded by a St. Paul police officer while officers were responding to a sexual assault in-progress. The man shot by the officer is expected to survive.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has identified the officer who shot and injured a man in a St. Paul apartment hallway while responding to a reported sexual assault.

The shooting happened early Saturday morning, Jan. 6, at an apartment building on the 400 block of Thomas Avenue West. The 911 caller reported that a man was physically and sexually assaulting a woman while armed with a handgun, and he could hear the woman screaming.

St. Paul police previously said the responding officers called the suspect out of the apartment, at which point he "charged" out of the apartment at them, and shots were fired by one officer. The man was shot in the arm and authorities called for St. Paul Fire medics to respond.

The BCA identified the man as 31-year-old Brett Kohl Fraser, of St. Paul. He was shot once by Officer Josh Needham, and was taken to the hospital for treatment. He has since been released and remains in custody.

The woman who was inside the apartment was not injured in the shooting and was able to safely exit the unit, according to authorities.

While searching the scene, the BCA said a replica handgun was found inside a backpack in the apartment, but it is unknown who it belongs to.

The officers involved in this incident were wearing body cameras that were activated. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will investigate the shooting and review the bodycam video. It's still unclear if or when that footage will be released.

Officer Needham was placed on standard administrative leave. Fraser has not been officially charged as of Wednesday.