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Hennepin County deputies cleared in deadly shooting that ended Minnetonka standoff

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  September 12, 2024 5:59pm CDT
Minnetonka
FOX 9

The Brief

    • The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has cleared deputies who shot and killed Clint Hoyhtya during a standoff in Minnetonka last April. The use of force was deemed justified, and no charges will be filed against the deputies involved.
    • The incident began when deputies attempted to arrest another individual at Hoyhtya's home. Hoyhtya opened fire on the deputies with an AR-15, injuring two of them.
    • Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty stated that their review found no unlawful conduct by law enforcement, acknowledging the danger faced by deputies and the impact on all parties involved in the incident.

Minnetonka standoff: Body camera video

Newly released videos show a shootout between an armed man and deputies outside a Minnetonka home.

MINNETONKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Attorney has cleared the deputies who shot and killed an armed man in Minnetonka during a standoff last April that shut down a neighborhood and left two deputies hurt.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced Thursday the deputies were justified in their use of force and no charges are warranted in the case.

Background

Clint Hoyhtya was killed by deputies after sparking a standoff on April 10 in a Minnetonka neighborhood off Excelsior Boulevard. Deputies had gone to Hoyhtya's home near East Crestwood Drive and Mayview Road to arrest another man on a warrant. Instead, they were met by Hoyhtya, who ultimately opened fire on the deputies with an AR-15 after refusing to open the door.

Two deputies were injured as shots were fired: Deputy Christopher Heihn was struck by gunfire and Deputy Keith McNamara was injured by shrapnel.

Body camera video showed the frightening moments as deputies sought cover as shots were fired by Hoyhtya. Hoyhtya was shot and killed about 20 minutes after first opening fire. Three deputies fired shots during the incident.

Findings

In a news release Thursday afternoon, The Hennepin County Attorney's Office said deputies acted lawfully during the showing, explaining

  • Deputies initially retreated to find cover.
  • Called for a negotiator.
  • Attempted to convince Hoyhtya to stop shooting.
  • Deputies fired their weapons only after Hoyhtya fired directly at them.

"In our review of the BCA’s investigation, we found no unlawful conduct by law enforcement," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "This was a terrifying incident that left an HCSO deputy hospitalized with a gunshot wound, endangered the lives of several other deputies and community members, and led to the death of Mr. Hoyhtya. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragedy, including the sheriff’s deputies, their families, impacted neighbors, and Mr. Hoyhtya’s family."