Tree trimmer was playing shadow puppets when he crushed coworker's head in Apple Valley, charges say

A 34-year-old man is accused of playing shadow puppets with the grapple of a boom and crushing his coworker's head as they were trimming trees in Apple Valley, Minnesota, on Thursday evening.

The victim, 26-year-old Tyler Anthony Lynch, was pronounced dead when officers arrived to the 5200 block of 132nd Street West around 7:10 p.m. 

The Brainerd, Minnesota, man was taken into custody and faces one count of second-degree manslaughter.

According to the criminal complaint, he said he was the only one with a commercial driver's license, so he was responsible for operating the boom.

He told police that he and Lynch were "f**king around" and saw that the sunlight was casting shadows of the grapple and Lynch's body on the street, charges say. He said he moved the grapple to make it look like it was grabbing Lynch's shadow.

The criminal complaint says the man was moving the grapple without looking at Lynch. He then closed the grapple, crushing Lynch's head, charges say.

A witness told police they saw the grapple move and either hit or pinch Lynch's head, charges say.

Police say officials from the Occupational and Health Safety Administration will also investigate the incident.