Mpls. officer shot by colleague commits suicide

A Minneapolis police officer who received a $4.5 million settlement after being shot by a fellow officer has committed suicide, police reported Monday.

Duy Dinh Ngo, 38, was found dead on Monday at his home in the 1700 block of Diane Road in Mendota Heights. His wife had called 911 to request police assistance.

Officers are at the home and are "investigating the suicide death," according to a statement released by the Mendota Heights Police Department.

The Dakota County Medical Examiner's office has not yet released the official cause of death.

Ngo received $4.5 million from the city of Minneapolis in 2007 -- four years after he was shot multiple times by a fellow police officer while working undercover in south Minneapolis.

Ngo was undercover and on gang surveillance on Feb. 25, 2003, when he was shot by a suspect. He radioed for help, but an officer who responded jumped out of his cruiser and almost immediately began firing at Ngo, hitting him six times. The shooting left Ngo with a mangled left arm and damage to his groin.

Attorney Robert Bennett, who represented Ngo during the lawsuit, said the injuries Ngo sustained in the shooting prevented him from working as a patrol officer, but Ngo stayed on the force part time.

Bennett said Ngo could have pursued another career, but stayed with the department because he loved being a police officer.

"Anybody who knew Duy would understand he was a very bright, intelligent fellow who was able to -- and shouldn't have been shackled into any particular profession," Bennett said on Monday. "He certainly had the ability to learn and do other things, as is evidenced by the fact that he was a combat medic in the Army. He'd certainly learned and understood that very vigorous discipline as well."

The settlement was the largest city payout over a lawsuit involving allegations of police misconduct.

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