Police fatally shoot man with hatchet in Crookston, BCA investigating
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Updated: 9:05 a.m.
Police officers in Crookston fatally shot a man early Thursday.
Crookston police said the man was shot after he “rapidly approached” officers while swinging a hatchet.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating. Authorities have not said whether squad cameras or body cameras captured video of the incident.
According to an account from the Crookston Police Department:
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Just before 1 a.m. Thursday, police officers on East Seventh Street “came upon a man in the street who was swinging a hatchet.”
“Upon initial contact, the man rapidly approached the officers, and less-lethal means were deployed. The man continued to advance at officers with the hatchet, and they shot him.”
The man was treated for his injuries at the scene, and later died at a hospital.
Crookston police did not release the names of the man who died or the officers involved. The department called it an isolated incident and said there’s no ongoing risk to public safety.
WDAY-TV reported that an area near the Polk County Government Center in Crookston was blocked off by police tape early Thursday morning as investigators worked at the scene.