Deputy injured after weapon fires in his holster during northern Minnesota incident, sheriff's office says
The Itasca County Sheriff's Office says a deputy is recovering after his firearm discharged while in his holster during an incident in Max, Minnesota, on Monday.
Deputies were called to a home on the 57000 block of Davidson Road around 2:30 p.m. in an effort to locate and arrest an 18-year-old man wanted on an outstanding warrant. Law enforcement said the teen resisted arrest when the deputies found him.
"During the ensuing struggle, a deputy's firearm discharged while in the holster, striking the deputy in the thigh," the sheriff's office said in a news release on Friday.
The deputy injured, identified by the sheriff's office as Michael Cowan, was taken to the hospital and has since been released. According to law enforcement, the teen was treated at the scene for "superficial wounds" he sustained during the incident before he was taken to the Itasca County Jail.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the incident, classified the matter as a "conflict case," citing evidence "indicating that Deputy Cowan did not discharge his weapon," according to the sheriff's office.
The deputies were wearing body cameras during the incident and video has been given to the BCA for review, law enforcement said.
Max is around 120 miles northwest of Duluth, Minnesota, and is located on the north side of the Leech Lake Reservation.