Man shot by Minn. deputy had knife, not gun
WINONA, Minn. (AP) -- A 25-year-old man under the influence of drugs was pointing a knife -- not a gun -- at law officers when he was fatally shot by a Winona County sheriff's deputy last September, an investigative report from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Thursday.
The report found that Chase Kolstad was holding and pointing a 5-inch folding knife like a pistol the night he was shot on a Minnesota City bridge, the Winona Daily News reported.
Kolstad had told friends and family members he was carrying a .38-caliber handgun in the days before he was shot, the report said. Friends and family also said Kolstad was suicidal and using drugs.
During the bridge standoff, officers ordered Kolstad several times to drop what they believed was a gun. Kolstad instead pointed the knife at officers and put it in his mouth, mimicking a pistol, the report said.
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Sheriff's Deputy John Hazelton shouted repeatedly at Kolstad to "drop the gun," and then fired a single rifle shot that struck Kolstad in the head and killed him around 12:30 a.m. Sept. 15, the report said. Hazelton told investigators he feared for his life and the lives of his fellow officers. Halzelton was placed on standard administrative leave afterward and was cleared for active duty in October. A grand jury this month decided not to charge Hazelton.
Kolstad fell off the bridge after he was shot and died at the scene. The knife was lying on his chest.
An autopsy found Kolstad was under the influence of methamphetamine. Investigators found on him a small white plastic bag with white powder residue that was later determined to be a prescription drug for anxiety. Investigators also found in an inner pocket of Kolstad's jacket an envelope labeled ``my suicide note by Chase Kolstad.'' In the letter, Kolstad wrote about the pain he felt and how he felt few people cared about him.
Winona County Sheriff David Brand did not immediately return a telephone message for comment Thursday night.
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(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)