St. Paul police shooting: Bodycam footage released of fatal incident

St. Paul police have released the bodycam footage in connection to a fatal police shooting last weekend.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul police have released the bodycam footage in connection to a fatal police shooting last weekend.

On Feb. 11, the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) responded to an apartment building on the 100 block of Western Avenue South shortly after 5 p.m., following a report of a man threatening people with a knife in the building's community room.

According to police, when responding officers arrived, residents directed them toward a hallway where a man, later identified as Yia Xiong, 65, of St. Paul, was located holding a knife.

Officers made verbal contact with Xiong and told him to drop the knife. He did not respond and instead turned to unlock his apartment door at the end of the hallway, according to police.

Police released body camera footage from a police shooting earlier this month. (St. Paul Police Department)

As Xiong went inside his apartment and the door began to close, responding officers kicked the door to stop it from fully shutting, and ordered him to come out, police said.

At that point, Xiong opened the door and stepped into the hallway, still holding the knife, police said. SPPD Officer Abdirahman Dahir fired his department rifle, and SPPD Officer Noushue Cha deployed his Taser. Xiong later died at the scene.

According to an announcement, BCA crime scene personnel recovered a 16-inch traditional Hmong knife at the scene during its investigation.

When an investigation is complete, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office for review of possible charges, according to the BCA.