No charges filed against Richfield, Edina officers in fatal shooting of Brian Quinones
RICHFIELD, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has declined to file criminal charges against the Richfield or Edina police officers in the deadly shooting of Brian Quinones in September.
According to police, on Sept. 7, Quinones refused to pull over for officers in Edina for a traffic stop. A chase ensued, which Quinones streamed on his Facebook page.
The pursuit ended near the intersection of 77th Street East and Chicago Avenue in Richfield. In the video, Quinones stops his car and jumps out. The video shows an object that appears to be a weapon in his hand.
About 10 seconds after he exited the vehicle, gunshots are heard on the video.
No officers were hurt in the shooting.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said his office reviewed hours of video evidence from the Richfield and Edina police squad car cameras and from Quinones' Facebook Live video.
“When Mr. Quinones left his car after leading police on a chase, he had a knife in his hand. Subsequently, he threatened several officers with the knife. Mr. Quinones refused police requests to stand down and refused to drop the knife.” Freeman said in a statement. “Under Minnesota law, it is clear that Officers Pedersen, Schultz, Stariha, Carroll, and Wenande’s use of deadly force was necessary, proportional, and objectively reasonable in the face of the apparent threat of death or great bodily harm, and no criminal charges are warranted.”
Fred Bruno, the attorney representing Richfield Officers Carroll and Stariha released the following statement:
"The officers acted properly and in accordance with their training and experience. Mr. Freeman’s decision brings a small measure of relief to the involved officers; however, there can be no winners in a situation like this one."
Statement from Richfield Police Department:
"The incident deeply impacted the Quinones family, the officers involved, and our community. The Richfield Police Department and the City of Richfield understand this has been a long, challenging process. The Richfield Police Department is committed to working with our community as we begin healing from this tragic event."