The Minnesota State Patrol on Wednesday released the name of the trooper involved in the fatal shooting of a Cherry Township man after a domestic dispute Saturday night.
Trooper Travis Pearson, a seven-year veteran of the patrol, shot and killed Donnie Joe Lira, 66, shortly after 11 p.m. Lira had reportedly fired shots at his estranged wife's nearby home minutes earlier. Pearson was responding to a 911 call when he spotted Lira driving away from his home and returning to his own home.
The State Patrol said Lira pulled into his driveway and Pearson initiated a traffic stop with his emergency lights on. Lira reportedly came out of his vehicle with a firearm and ignored verbal commands given by the trooper, the patrol said. The trooper and the suspect exchanged fire. Lira died at a local hospital. Pearson was not injured.
Pearson is assigned to the State Patrol's Virginia district. He is currently on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in deadly force incidents. The incident remains under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
