Man dead after officer-involved shooting in St. Paul, Minn.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A man has died after an officer-involved shooting early Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to St. Paul police, around 2:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to a multi-unit residence on the 900 block of St. Anthony Avenue. A 911 caller reported that someone fired multiple shots on the second floor. The 911 caller then hung up without providing more information.
When officers at the scene, they encountered a man with a gun. At some point, two officers discharged their weapons, striking the man. According to police, St. Paul Fire medics were immediately called to the scene, and the man was pronounced dead.
Officers immediately searched the surrounding area for anyone else who may have been injured as a result of the call for service, secured the scene and contacted the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is conducting an investigation.
Both officers involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras, which were activated. All officers involved in the incident will be placed on standard administrative leave.
Body camera footage, along with all other evidence, is being turned over to the BCA, which will release any subsequent information about this incident.
No officers were injured in the shooting. St. Paul police will hold a media availability Sunday.
Terrell King Adams lives near the crime scene and said he was outside at the time and heard the gunfire.
"My mother even called me because she woke up from the house and asked me what was going on outside because it was so close," he said.
"The characteristic of the shot is that it wasn't a panic shot where we were hearing people running around shooting, or if the chops are reacting to active fire," he added. "It was slow, crisp, trained shots."
Mike Ernster, of the St. Paul Police Department, said incidents like these are tough on everyone.
"No officer ever wants to be involved in a situation like this," he said. "It changes them forever. And obviously it impacts the families, and our hearts go out to them. It's a tragic situation."
John Thompson, of the New North in Minneapolis, just happened to live nearby the shooting scene.
"This won't be the last one this summer," he said. "There will never be a rerun of this episode, there will always be a new episode."
Thompson looked forward to helping the community fix this problem.
"Let's start talking about how we stop this from happening in our community," he said.
St. Paul's mayor also made a statement Sunday.
Statement from St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter:
"Last night's officer-involved shooting was a tragedy for our entire city," said Mayor Carter. "As we await further details, my heart goes out to the family of the deceased, to our Saint Paul officers, and to every member of our community as we all grieve and process this loss. I am working closely with Chief Axtell and the BCA to ensure a thorough, transparent and timely investigation, including the release of the body cam footage as soon as possible."