Duluth man dies in officer-involved shooting

Two Duluth police officers shot and killed a 26-year-old man early Tuesday morning after responding to a car crash.

The victim crashed a car into a tree at 2 a.m. and then fled the scene. Officers encountered the man with a handgun outside a nearby address where the vehicle was registered.

For over three minutes, police say, the two officers repeated loud verbal comments to the man. When they attempted to take him into custody, police say, he reached to his chest area where the gun was located. Both officers then shot the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Duluth Deputy Police Chief Mike Tusken said this is the fourth officer-involved shooting in Duluth in the past three years.

"We have seen an increase, for whatever reason that is," Tusken said. "But we have seen an increase in officer-involved shootings."

The officers are uninjured. Both have been placed on paid administrative leave while the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigates.

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.