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Crime, Law and Justice
Jon Collins
Minneapolis

Prosecutor: Deadly force by MPD snipers justified in Tekle Sundberg shooting

A crowd stands near a sidewalk with chalk writing
Supporters of Andrew Tekle Sundberg gather at a vigil on July 14 in Minneapolis. Hennepin County prosecutors said Wednesday the police decision to shoot Sundberg was justified.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

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No charges will be brought against the Minneapolis police snipers who killed 20-year-old Andrew Tekle Sundberg in July after he allegedly threatened to shoot officers following an hourslong standoff, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Wednesday.

Given the circumstances, the use of deadly force was “legally authorized under Minnesota law,” Freeman said in a statement. He called Sundberg’s death a “tragedy.”

Sundberg's family says he was having a mental health crisis at the time.

Officers were called on July 14 to the apartment complex where Sundberg lived after he’d reportedly fired a gun into a neighbor’s apartment. They evacuated the building and attempted to negotiate with Sundberg.

Negotiators spent more than six hours trying to call Sundberg's phone and used a loudspeaker throughout the night to urge him to surrender.

Authorities say the snipers, posted on a building roof across the street, shot Sundberg as he stood on the ledge of the third-floor window of the apartment, less than a minute after allegedly pointing a weapon at officers on the ground.

After reviewing the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation, Freeman said the use of force by police was legally justified because officers objectively believed that lives were in danger. He expressed condolences to to Sundberg's friends and family.

The BCA will release any public evidence associated with Sundberg's death.