Man dead in shootout with law enforcement in St. Peter, Minnesota BCA says; officer injured
A 21-year-old man is dead and a police officer was injured after a shootout in St. Peter earlier this month, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The Mankato Police Department was chasing a motorist that fled into St. Peter on June 18 and stopped on the 2100 block of Bunker Lane, according to the state agency.
The driver, later identified by officials as the man, from St. Peter, left the vehicle and ran into the home of a friend. Officers who responded to the scene found a woman and a girl inside the home and took them outside, the agency said.
While inside the home, law enforcement were attempting to go up a stairwell when the man fired a shotgun at them, resulting in the officer, identified as Austin Buss, being shot in one of his arms and his ballistic vest, the agency said.
According to officials, Buss and a deputy with the Nicollet County Sheriff's Office returned fire and then left the residence to seek medical care.
Buss was taken to a medical facility after the incident. A Minnesota public safety union said on June 19 that he was recovering.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with him, his family, and the entire St. Peter Police Department during this difficult time," Law Enforcement Labor Services said.
Other officers tried to get the man to surrender, the agency said. After trying to speak to him, law enforcement flew a drone into the home and found him dead from a "gunshot injury," according to officials.
Investigators said they recovered a shotgun and spent casings from inside the home. Body cameras were worn and captured "portions" of the incident, according to the agency.
Several hours after the shooting, the Nicollet County Sheriff's Office issued a shelter-in-place order for the Washington Terrace neighborhood, citing an ongoing law enforcement situation. The order took effect at 10:15 p.m., with residents asked to remain indoors and others urged to avoid the area. The shelter-in-place order has since been lifted.
Neighbors Joshua and Hailey Flatt told WCCO they believe the people involved lived next door to them in a row of townhomes.
"We're very, very thankful that we were not home. We didn't hear it, we didn't watch it transpire. We didn't have to worry about the gunfire or a stray bullet. Anything about our safety," Joshua Flatt said.
The couple said they were not home when the shooting happened and learned about the incident from a coworker who called to check on them.
"We're still taking it in," Hailey Flatt said. "I'm just in shock."
Bonnie Kerkow, another neighbor, was at the scene shortly after the shooting.
"We had everyone here yelling, 'Come on out. You're safe with us if you come out. But if you don't want to come out and we have to force you, we're not going to guarantee you'll come out safe," Kerkow said.
As of Thursday, the investigation is ongoing.
