Off-duty Minneapolis PD officer fired shots during standoff
Minneapolis SWAT team responded to the incident along 27th Avenue South in Minneapolis on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the use of force by an off-duty Minneapolis police officer, who was trapped in a building with an armed person undergoing a mental health crisis on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident started around 12:20 p.m. at a home along 27th Avenue South near East 37th Street with the report of a person in crisis who had threatened a family member with a gun. Later, officers were told shots had been fired inside the home and outside the home.
Officers set up a perimeter as SWAT teams and crisis negotiators were called to the scene.
The 911 caller, an off-duty Minneapolis police officer, was able to get out of the home by climbing onto the roof. Two other people in the home, a man and a woman, were also able to escape the dangerous situation.
As the standoff continues, officers saw the person in crisis exit and re-enter the home several times, armed with a weapon.
The tense situation ended peacefully, police say, as negotiators were able to convince the man to surrender to officers.
During the incident, police learned that the off-duty officer had fired shots with his service weapon. As per protocol, that officer has been placed on administrative leave. However, police say no one was struck by gunfire during the emergency and there were no reported injuries. The Minnesota BCA is investigating the circumstances around the off-duty officer's use of force.
The person in crisis was booked into Hennepin County Jail following the incident. Neither the distraught individual nor the off-duty officer were identified by police on Tuesday. Further information will be released by the Minnesota BCA at a later time.