New Hope officer identified in shooting of man, 62
Officials have identified the police officer who shot an armed man in Crystal last week as a veteran of the New Hope police department.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office says Officer Ben Harty is on standard paid leave. He joined the New Hope department in 2008.
A report from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office said 62-year-old Ronald Klitzka died of a gunshot wound to the head at 5128 Angeline Ave N. on the evening of Nov. 10.
The sheriff's department said officers from Crystal, New Hope and Robbinsdale responded to a call of a suicidal person.
The statement said officers found an adult male with a gun. Shots were fired on both sides, and the man was killed. A Crystal police official identified the man as Klitzka.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident at the request of the Crystal and New Hope police departments, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.
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