Man shot by Goodhue Co. deputy charged with assaulting peace officer

RED WING, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man shot by a deputy in Red Wing last week will be charged with assaulting a police officer in the altercation that led up to the event. 

Following the shooting, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is releasing more information about who was involved, and what it believes happened.

According to the BCA, Fernando Javier Carbajal, 24, of Red Wing was shot during a physical altercation with Goodhue County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Sutton-Brown, who fired his gun during the altercation. Carbajal has since been charged with third-degree assault, and fourth- and fifth-degree assaults on a peace officer. 

On Nov. 22, Red Wing Police received a call for assistance from a Goodhue County Sheriff’s deputy who had located a damaged vehicle in a city-owned parking lot on Levee Road. The BCA has since said the vehicle crashed into a telephone pole near Bay Point Park. The deputy said it looked as though a man was walking away from the scene, according to police.

According to the BCA, Sutton-Brown was taking part in training nearby and arrived on the scene first – not wearing his standard uniform, but a sweatshirt that identified him as a member of the sheriff’s office. Because Sutton-Brown had come from training, he did not have less-lethal options, including aerosol, a baton or a Taser, police say.

An altercation occurred, and Sutton-Brown fell. He injured his foot and discharged his firearm three times, the BCA said. Carbajal was unarmed.

A witness took video of the altercation prior to the shooting, but stopped recording before Sutton-Brown shot Carbajal, authorities said.

Once the investigation is complete, the BCA will present its findings to the Goodhue County Attorney’s Office for review, according to a press release.