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Crookston officer who fatally shot man at homeless shelter will not face charges

Minnesota’s legislative mess continues, and more headlines
Minnesota’s legislative mess continues, and more headlines 04:24

CROOKSTON, Minn. — A police officer who shot and killed a man at a northern Minnesota homeless shelter last summer will not face charges, authorities announced Tuesday.

Crookston police officer Nick Fladland killed 44-year-old Christopher Junkin on June 30 while responding to reports of men fighting at Care and Share shelter on East Third Street.

The Crow Wing County Attorney's Office, which reviewed the case for potential charges, said it found "the use of deadly force ... was authorized under Minnesota law. Therefore, no criminal prosecution should be pursued in this matter."

The Crookston Police Department said Junkin was "being combative toward officers and was not following officers' verbal commands" before the shooting." According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Junkin was breaking items inside the shelter and ignoring commands to stop. 

The Crow Wing County Attorney's Office said another resident informed officers, including Fladland, that Junkin was having "a mental health breakdown" when they arrived.

Before Fladland fired the fatal shots, officers used Tasers and pepper spray on Junkins, the attorney's office said, both of which proved ineffective.

Fladland shot Junkin three times when Junkin ran at officers who were retreating backward down a stairwell, then lunged at them, according to the attorney's office. Officers handcuffed him, then tried lifesaving measures, but Junkin died at the scene.

"Ultimately, Junkin's refusal to comply with orders and his repeated attempts to assault the officers resulted in [Fladland] responding with deadly force," the attorney's office said. "Although Junkin did not have a weapon on him at the time he was shot, given his physical stature, the level of aggression he was exhibiting towards the officers, and law enforcement's position on the stairwell when he lunged at them, it was reasonable for the officers to believe Junkin would cause them great bodily harm or death if they did not respond with deadly force."

A month before Junkin's death, Fladland shot and killed 35-year-old Andrew Scott Dale when Dale approached him with a hatchet, according to the BCA.


If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.

In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.  

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