STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) - One day after two Stillwater police officers fatally shot a man who was holding a 7-year-old girl hostage, authorities said the shooting was justified.
Sgt. Nate Meredith and Officer Kyle Sykes shot a 57-year-old man who was holding his granddaughter at knife point at a Stillwater home.
"Both officers were confronted with a very difficult situation," Sgt. Jeff Stender said at a Saturday news conference. "They had to act immediately and decisively. ... I don't think we could have picked two better officers to be in this situation."
Meredith has been with the Stillwater force for nine years and Sykes is a six-year veteran. They have been placed on administrative leave per department policy.
The name of the victim has not been released.
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Police say the officers were sent to check on a report of an unwanted man at a residence. They arrived and found he had broken in, and was holding a juvenile female at knifepoint.
The suspect refused to release her and did not obey orders to drop the knife, so two of the responding officers were forced to shoot him, authorities said. Despite efforts to revive the man, the suspect died at the scene.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Stillwater police and the Washington County sheriff's office were investigating.
