Apple Valley man killed in shootout with police

An Apple Valley man was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police on Sunday evening.

Carl Anthony Tatum, 48, died at Regions Hospital in St. Paul after Apple Valley police shot him multiple times following a reported domestic dispute.

Apple Valley Police Officers Tommie Booth and Tara Becker are on paid administrative leave, standard procedure for police officers involved in a shooting.

Apple Valley Police Department acting-Chief Jon Rechtzigel said Booth and Becker were called to a domestic dispute at Tatum's house shortly before 6 p.m. on Sunday. The officers spoke to Tatum as he sat on the stairs in front of his home.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

"When [Tatum] was told he was under arrest, he stood up, he went through the front door immediately," Rechtzigel said. "He ran into the living room, the top of the stairs, made a quick left and pulled up a sofa cushion and retrieved a gun he had stashed there."

Tatum fired at least twice at officers before he was shot by Booth, Rechtzigel said. Neither the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) nor the Apple Valley Police knew how many bullets were fired in the exchange or how many struck Tatum.

Rechtzigel said the loss of life was "terrible," but that he thought officers handled the situation appropriately.

The two officers will be on paid leave for at least three days, although the department could reassess that decision, Rechtzigel said.

"We want to make sure that our officers are OK," Rechtzigel said. "When they do come back to work we want to make sure that they're ready to work again."

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting at the request of the Apple Valley Police Department.

BCA spokesperson Jill Oliveira said it's normal for law enforcement to ask BCA to conduct the investigation in cases of officer-involved shootings.

The results of the BCA investigation will be presented to the Dakota County Attorney. Oliveira said most investigations are generally complete in about six to eight weeks.

Rechtzigel said that the Apple Valley Police Department has not had an officer-involved shooting since 2000.