Officer shoots knife-wielding man in Dollar General store, Walker police say
Police in Walker, Minnesota, shot a person who was "acting erratically" on Friday after they say he charged at an officer with a knife inside of a Dollar General store.
According to the department, a resident flagged down an officer just after 6:30 p.m. to report the male, who was only wearing boxers.
Nearly simultaneously, the department says a caller reported to the Cass County Sheriff's Office that a male with the same description was in front of a business on Minnesota Avenue and was holding a knife. Additional callers said multiple vehicles, either on or near that street, had punctured tires.
A responding officer found the male, who then ran off, starting a chase. Eventually, the male entered the store and threatened to kill all the workers inside, police said. The officer who ran after him found the male inside the store, but the suspect then allegedly threw items and discharged bug spray at him.
The officer reportedly gave multiple commands to drop the knife, police said, and that's when the suspect charged, causing the officer to fire a single shot.
The suspect, whose age hasn't been released, was hit in his left arm. Police said his injury isn't considered life threatening. He was brought to Bemidji's Sanford Hospital for treatment.
Police said the shooting was captured on the officer's body camera, and they are on standard administrative leave amid the investigation led by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The names of both the officer and the suspect are expected to be released at a later time.
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