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Peter Cox
St. Paul

Police shooting in Vadnais Heights gets second look from prosecutors

Jahnke's sister Jenny Vance, mother Ann Jahnke, and friend Theresa Escoe
Darren Jahnke's sister Jenny Vance, mother, Ann Jahnke, and family friend Theresa Escoe at a press conference in St. Paul, Minn., on Feb. 27, 2018. He was killed by Ramsey Deputy in April. They were asking to get his body for burial, charges against officers and for the investigation to conclude.
Jon Collins | MPR News

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Prosecutors are reexamining the investigation of the fatal police shooting of a man last year in Vadnais Heights after it was revealed that some evidence was not properly handled by investigators.

Darren Jahnke was fatally shot by a Ramsey County sheriff's deputy during an April 2017 confrontation with officers near U.S. Highway 61 and Interstate 694. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigated and ultimately the officers involved were not charged.

But the BCA on Thursday said the investigator left a key piece of evidence unexamined.

Jahnke recorded audio of the incident on his phone. The BCA said its investigator didn't listen to the file and it wasn't given to the county attorney.

The investigator has been removed from the unit that examines police shootings and homicides, the agency added.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office will reopen the case to review the audio evidence and are asking the BCA to transcribe the audio and to be available to investigate further as needed.