BCA Identifies 4 St. Paul Officers Who Shot Suspected Minneapolis Killer

BCA Identifies 4 St. Paul Officers Who Shot Suspected Minneapolis Killer

Two other officers fired less-lethal rounds.

Authorities have identified the three St. Paul police officers and one sergeant who shot a man suspected of two Minneapolis shootings.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) says two officers used less-lethal rounds and four used their handguns or rifles when they shot Earl Bennett, 40, at Snelling and University Avenues in St. Paul on Monday evening.

Bennett remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition as of Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Minneapolis Police Department confirmed that Bennett is a suspect in two shootings, including one that killed two men and critically injured a woman at a homeless encampment on Sunday. The second shooting left a man with life-threatening injuries on the 3500 of Columbus Avenue South on Monday.

All of the officers involved in the St. Paul shooting are on critical incident leave.

• Officer Shawn Marlowe fired his rifle. He has been in law enforcement for 10 years.
• Officer Chase Robinson fired his handgun. He has been in law enforcement for 10 years.
• Sergeant Lamichael Shead fired his handgun. He has been in law enforcement for eight years.
• Officer Blake Steffen fired his rifle. He has been in law enforcement for four years.
• Officer AustThe officers opened fire near the intersection after Bennett allegedly ignored commands to surrender and pointed a gun at officers.

The officers opened fire near the intersection after Bennett allegedly ignored commands to surrender and pointed a gun at officers.

The fatal shooting that Bennett is suspected of occurred on Sunday near a small homeless encampment along railroad tracks at Hiawatha and Snelling in Minneapolis. It left Christopher Martell Washington, 38, of Fridley, and Louis Mitchell Lemons Jr., 32, of Brooklyn Center, dead at the scene. The woman shot in that same incident was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Bennett has since been arrested for the two Minneapolis shootings but remains in the hospital while charges are pending. According to the BCA, crime scene personnel recovered a handgun from near where Bennett stood, and it is being tested as part of the BCA’s investigation.

Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcement’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.

SOURCE: Bring Me The News