BCA: Man turned gun on himself after shootout with police in central Minnesota

(FOX 9) - A man is dead after an altercation with police overnight in central Minnesota.

At approximately 2:20 a.m. an Eden Valley police officer attempted to initiate a vehicle stop for a traffic offense. Police say the driver then fled west from Eden Valley on Highway 55 as the officer pursued. 

Approximately one mile west of Eden Valley, the vehicle went into the ditch. The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle exited the vehicle and there was an exchange of gunfire, deputies said. At some point, the driver was shot but it's unclear how. A release from the sheriff’s office did not completely detail the circumstances of the shooting. The officer involved in the incident rendered aid but the man ultimately was declared dead.

UPDATE: In a release on Sunday, the Minnesota BCA said autopsy results showed the man, identified as 34-year-old Stephen Christ Poissant of Brainerd, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Poissant was struck in the knee by gunfire by the officer involved – Officer Evan Borscheid, a five-year law enforcement veteran. Borscheid was not hurt in the incident.

Meeker County and Stearns County deputies as well as Litchfield Police all responded to the scene, where a handgun was recovered. 

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Officer for formal identification and to determine the cause and manner of death. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday.

The Eden Valley Police Department does not have body cameras. However, a squad camera was operating throughout the incident. 

The Minnesota BCA has taken over the investigation, which remains active and ongoing.