Man shot by St. Paul police now charged in connection with Minneapolis shooting
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A man who was shot and wounded by St. Paul police on Monday evening has been charged in connection with a shooting in Minneapolis hours earlier.
Earl Bennett, 40, faces one count of premeditated first-degree attempted murder for allegedly shooting and critically wounding a man at a sober living facility in Minneapolis.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County, police were called just after 5 p.m. Monday to the facility on the 3500 block of Columbus Avenue South. They found a man with a gunshot wound to his neck.
Witnesses reportedly identified Bennett as the gunman. They said he was a resident of the facility and had come back to the building intoxicated — and grew angry when staff said he needed to take a drug test. Bennett allegedly threatened several people, then drew a gun and shot the victim.
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Later that night, Bennett was shot by St. Paul police officers after he allegedly pointed a gun at officers responding to a shots-fired call near the corner of University and Snelling avenues. Bennett remained in critical but stable condition as of Wednesday.
Bennett also faces charges in Ramsey County in relation to that incident. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm, and second-degree assault. The criminal complaint states that Bennett was ineligible to possess a firearm due to previous felony convictions.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the six St. Paul officers who used force during the encounter with Bennett on Monday night.
Four of the officers fired guns: Officer Shawn Marlowe, who has 10 years of law enforcement experience; Officer Chase Robinson, who has 10 years of law enforcement experience; Sgt. Lamichael Shead, who has eight years of law enforcement experience; and Officer Blake Steffen, who has four years of law enforcement experience.
Two officers fired less-lethal rounds: Officer Austin Borowicz and Officer Peov Suon, who each have three years of law enforcement experience.
The BCA said the shooting was captured on body cameras, squad cameras and nearby security cameras, which will be part of the ongoing investigation.
Some police accountability groups in the Twin Cities have called for the immediate release of the video footage.