Officers who shot man with sword in North Branch identified
NORTH BRANCH, Minn. -- The three officers who shot and wounded a man armed with a sword on Friday evening in North Branch have been identified.
Two North Branch police officers - Tyler Lawson and Kyle Lund - fired their patrol rifles. Chisago County Sergeant James Mott fired less-lethal rounds, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The 31-year-old man they shot is being treated for multiple gunshot wounds and is expected to recover.
Police responded to the 6600 block of Oak Ridge Court around 10 p.m. on Friday on a report of a suicidal man. They found the man in the driveway, carrying a sword. Though they told him to drop the sword multiple times, he refused and started walking towards the officers.
Mott, a 15-year law enforcement veteran, fired less-lethal rounds. Lawson and Kyle, who each have less than five years of experience, fired their rifles. The incident was captured on body-worn cameras.
The three officers have been placed on standard administrative leave.
