BCA investigating after man shot, killed by police in Stillwater, Minnesota

ST. PAUL -- Stillwater, Minnesota, police shot and killed a man who they say opened fire on them when they responded to an apartment complex with an active shooter and several people already injured on Saturday afternoon.

About 2:20 p.m. police received a report of an unknown medical injury that quickly turned into a shots fired call, said Stillwater Police Chief Brian Mueller at a news conference Saturday night.

Within moments of the first 911 call, there were multiple calls of shots fired and when officers arrived, Mueller said, it was considered an “active shooter” situation.

When officers arrived, they said a man opened fire on them outside the apartment complex. Police returned fire and said the man was “incapacitated.” Emergency aid was given and he was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul where he was pronounced dead, the chief said.

No officers were shot or injured but a squad car was struck by several rounds.

A woman who arrived at the scene later began weeping and collapsed onto the ground after speaking to law enforcement officers and screamed, “My baby is dead! My brother is dead!”

Before officers arrived there were “many, many rounds fired” inside and outside the complex and several people were already injured, Mueller said. The extent of the other people’s injuries and whether they were caused by gunfire or whether they were life-threatening was not known Saturday, he said, but it was believed that the suspect had caused the injuries.

Later, police found the suspect had several extended magazines “to be utilized by a handgun,” Mueller said.

“It was definitely a scary situation for first responders,” the chief said, noting that at the time of the 911 calls, there were “hundreds and hundreds” of families and children within “close proximity.”

Numerous police departments responded to the incident, including those as far away as Woodbury, Mueller said, which “speaks to the terror of the threat.”

After the man was shot, officers went door-to-door and to nearby businesses and homes to make sure everybody was safe, Mueller said. Several gas lines were struck by bullets during the incident and both the Stillwater Fire Department and Xcel Energy were called out to make sure the area was safe.

When Mueller was asked about how he felt about something like this happening in his city, his voice broke.

“I’m a parent. I’m a resident, and it’s very scary. I’m scared for what my officers faced,” he said. “I’m scared for what the residents faced. I’m proud of how they responded, but it definitely hits home. This isn’t something that happens in Stillwater. The officers did what they needed to do today and I’m very proud of them and I’m proud that it was as isolated as it was and it didn’t get as bad as it could have.”

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association released a statement about the officer-involved shooting Saturday night.

“Preliminary information reveals law enforcement officers responded to calls for help and were immediately met with gunfire becoming an active shooter scene where multiple victims were injured, a gas line was broken – all while children and more were in the vicinity,” General Counsel Imran Ali said, “This, once again, illustrates the grave danger posed to law enforcement, communities, and the decisions that must be made, in a split second, to preserve life.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to investigate. Further information will be released by that agency.