Woman in North Branch killed in police shooting
File photo police tape. (FOX 9)
NORTH BRANCH, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is investigating a use-of-force incident in North Branch that left a woman dead on Thursday night.
The North Branch Police Department said officers responded just before 9:20 p.m. near 3rd Avenue and Elm Street on a report of an "intoxicated and suicidal woman" who was reportedly armed with a handgun.
At the scene, officers encountered the woman, and at some point, police said an officer used their department firearm, striking the woman, while another officer used a non-lethal Pepperball.
Despite life-saving attempts, police say the woman died from her injuries. Further details about the victim are not immediately known, and authorities did not share the circumstances that led to the shooting.
North Branch police said both officers wore body cameras that captured the incident. The officers were placed on critical incident leave, which is standard policy.
The BCA is investigating the incident.