Man Critically Injured In Saint Paul Officer Involved Shooting

Oct 28

A man is in critical condition following an officer-involved shooting Monday night.

Officers were initially dispatched to the area around 7:45 p.m. on multiple reports of gunfire heard and two people arguing.

Upon arrival, they encountered a man who was holding a gun to his head, walking away from officers toward University Avenue West.

UPDATE: Man Shot by Police Linked to 2 Minneapolis Shootings

Police deployed less-lethal rounds in an effort to intervene but moments later, the man pointed the gun at officers and they fired their service weapons, striking him near University Avenue West and Snelling Avenue North just before 8 p.m.

The man sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to the hospital in critical condition, according to initial law enforcement and EMS radio dispatches. There were no officers injured during the incident.

University Avenue West was closed in both directions near Snelling Avenue as the investigation continued, with Light Rail trains in the area stopped as of 10 p.m. Monday.

FROM SAINT PAUL POLICE:
“Saint Paul police officers were involved in a shooting this evening just before 8 p.m. near the intersection of Snelling Avenue North and University Avenue West. One person was transported to Regions Hospital for treatment. No officers were injured.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will be conducting the investigation related to the incident, SPPD said, and the officers will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting. More information may be released within the coming days as the agency’s investigation unfolds.

UPDATE | Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024

The BCA on Tuesday identified the man shot as Earl Bennett, 40, no permanent address. Authorities say Bennett remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition at Regions Hospital in Saint Paul.

Authorities have confirmed that Bennett was wanted in connection to two recent shootings in south Minneapolis, including at a homeless encampment on the 4400 block of Snelling Avenue on Sunday that left two men dead, and for a shooting on the 3500 block of Columbus Avenue on Monday. Police said that Monday around 5:15 p.m., officers from the 3rd Precinct found a man behind a neighboring address with at least one life-threatening gunshot wound. That man was transported to Hennepin Healthcare Hospital. Officers cleared the residence, there where were no additional victims found and the suspect was not inside the residence.

UPDATE: Man Shot by Police Linked to 2 Minneapolis Shootings

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