Crime, Law and Justice

Minnesota BCA investigating fatal police shooting in Crookston

Crookston police say an officer fatally shot a man while responding to reports of a fight at a homeless shelter late Sunday night.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed it responded to the northwestern Minnesota city and is investigating the shooting. It’s the second fatal police shooting in Crookston in just over a month.

According to the initial police account of Sunday night’s shooting:

Officers were called to the Care and Share shelter just after 11:45 p.m. on reports of a fight in progress. They encountered a man inside the shelter who reportedly was combative and didn’t follow verbal commands.

Officers used less-lethal means to try to subdue the man before one officer fired their handgun. The man died at the scene; his name has not been released.

The initial statement from Crookston police did not say whether the man was armed, and didn’t provide further details on what prompted the officer to fire their gun.

Police also did not say whether the responding officers had body cameras.

The BCA continues to investigate a May 16 fatal police shooting in Crookston. In that incident, Crookston police and the BCA said an officer fatally shot a man who allegedly ran toward officers with a hatchet.

In that case, the BCA said body-worn cameras did capture parts of what happened.