The incident occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. on the 100 block of Western Avenue South, in the city’s West Seventh neighborhood. Officers were called for a man who had been threatening people with a knife in the community room of the building. When officers arrived people inside the building directed officers to where the man with the knife was located.
Officers located him in a first-floor hallway of the building. The man had a knife in his hand and officers attempted to get him to drop the knife. The officers retreated as the man advanced towards them. One officer deployed a taser and another fired shots at the man. The man was struck by the gunfire. Officers called for Saint Paul Fire medics to respond and began providing first aid. The man was eventually pronounced deceased on scene. No officers were injured.
Officers were wearing body worn cameras that were activated and recording. The involved officers will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. Per police department policy, the BCA is conducting the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Once the investigation is complete, it will be forwarded to the county attorney for review.
Any further information about this incident, including the names of the people involved, will be released by the BCA. At this time, no further details are available.
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