A 50-year-old Iron Range man wanted on felony warrants in three Northeastern Minnesota counties was shot and killed during a confrontation with a Minnesota State Patrol trooper Tuesday afternoon.
The man, whose name isn't being made public until his relatives can be notified by authorities, was stopped at 1:10 p.m. in the 700 block of Douglas Avenue in Eveleth. St. Louis County Sheriff Ross Litman said the man had a handgun that "was readily accessible" when the trooper approached his vehicle.
Litman said the trooper tried to get the suspect out of the vehicle with "very strong verbal commands." He said the trooper suffered minor injuries to his hands while trying to get the suspect out of the vehicle.
The sheriff declined to say how many shots the trooper fired, but the victim was shot in his vehicle and was dead at the scene. More details will be released during a news conference today at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Virginia, Litman said.
The dead man has convictions for first-degree drug possession, unlawfully possessing a pistol after being convicted of violent crimes, harassment, stalking and for violating restraining orders. Active warrants for his arrest were recently issued as the result of crimes he committed in St. Louis, Carlton and Pine counties.
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"It's unfortunate that this man lost his life," Litman said. "It's also very fortunate that the trooper in this case didn't lose his, and that others weren't seriously injured."
The trooper, who was not identified, has been placed on paid administrative leave under agency policy.
Litman said his deputies and other law enforcement agencies had "multiple prior dealings" with the shooting victim. He speculated that the active warrants for his arrest are what might have led to the man being stopped by the trooper.
Under Minnesota law, the use of deadly force by a peace officer is justified when necessary to:
* Protect the peace officer or another from apparent death or great bodily harm.
* To arrest, or prevent escape, of a person the officer knows or has grounds to believe has committed or attempted to commit a felony by use or threatened use of deadly force.
* To capture a person whom the officer believes has committed or attempted to commit a felony if the officer believes that the person will cause death or harm if apprehension is delayed.
"Our investigators are working along with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to piece together what happened to determine if the trooper's use of deadly force was justified," Litman said. "At this point, our preliminary investigation shows that it was, but that doesn't mean that our investigation is over."
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MARK STODGHILL covers public safety and courts. He can be reached weekdays at (218) 723-5333 or by e-mail at mstodghill@duluthnews.com .
