Bodycam video shows St. Paul police killing man approaching them with a knife
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Updated 3:47 p.m.
St. Paul police on Friday released officer body camera footage of officers confronting a man Saturday in an apartment building hallway and shooting him as he came toward them with a knife in hand.
The video shows officers responding to the Winslow Commons apartments on Western Avenue S., near West Seventh Street, just before 5 p.m. The complex serves people who are 62 and older or disabled.
A 911 caller reported that a man who’d been kicked out of a party in the community room had returned and was threatening people with a knife.
In the video, officers Abdirahman Dahir and Noushue Cha encounter 65-year-old Yia Xiong in a common area. As Xiong walks away, they shout for him to stop and drop the knife. He continues walking down a hall and then into another room and closes the door.
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After the police push the door open, Xiong emerges holding a knife in front of him. The officers take several steps back before Dahir fires several shots from his department-issued rifle and Xiong falls. Police said Cha also discharged his Taser.
St. Paul police said the officers performed first aid and called for St. Paul fire medics, who responded and pronounced Xiong deceased on scene.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which typically gets called in on cases involving police use of deadly force, is investigating the shooting. BCA investigators recovered a “16-inch traditional Hmong knife” at the scene. A search warrant said they also recovered five discharged .223 caliber cartridge casings as well as a Taser.
The BCA said the officers each have one year of law enforcement experience.
Once the BCA finishes its investigation, it will present its findings to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, which will review it for possible charges.
‘Tragic incident’
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter extended his condolences to Xiong’s family and said he understands the impact on the community.
“An officer-involved shooting is one of the most trying moments that can happen in a community’s story,” Carter said. “We are all, in the spirit of unity, hoping for healing as we digest a tragic incident that involves our St. Paul police officers.”
Xiong’s family met with Axel Henry, the city’s police chief, earlier Friday and later viewed the footage.
Trust between the city’s officers and community is a “sacred and fragile resource,” Carter said.
“It’s important to the chief, and it’s important to me, to release the information that we do have, so that people can see for themselves the interactions that take place,” Carter said, “and to know that while we as a community grieve, as we as a community process, that we as a community do maintain our steadfast commitment to transparency, to information sharing and to accountability.”
MPR News reporter Jon Collins contributed to this report.
The body worn cam footage can be found here. It contains graphic video and still images.