BCA releases more details after officer kills man during Marshall domestic disturbance call
State investigators have identified a mother of six and her alleged attacker who died as law enforcement intervened in a reported domestic disturbance in a southwestern Minnesota city.
The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Marshall Police Officer Eric Klenken responded to the home early Sunday morning.
When Klenken arrived, investigators say a child waved him into the house. The officer heard screaming from a bedroom, and found 41-year-old Jamel C. Hill Moore stabbing Meredith Martell, 35, as he pinned her to the floor of her bedroom closet.
The BCA says the officer ordered Moore to drop the knife, then tried to stun him with a Taser, which appeared to have no effect. The officer shot Moore twice, killing him.
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Martell died Sunday night at a Sioux Falls, S.D., hospital from what the Ramsey County Medical Examiner said were stabbing injuries.
In an online fundraising post, Martell’s brother said “she always knew how to keep a smile even through all the hardships she faced in life.”
Neither the officer, who had 24 years of experience, nor children in the home were physically hurt.
BCA agents are reviewing Klenken’s body camera video as part of the investigation. Once complete, the BCA’s findings without a charging recommendation will go to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office for review.
Domestic violence deaths significantly in Minnesota compared to last year
Thirty-four Minnesotans have died from intimate partner violence so far this year, according to Violence Free Minnesota Executive Director Guadalupe Lopez. That’s up from 20 last year, approaching the record high of 37 deaths a decade ago.
“We have to work on prevention,” she said. “I know we have to work on different sources for people to reach out for support. I know that our member programs are currently flooded already as it is, understaffed and trying to keep up with the necessities of the communities that they serve.”
Lopez said people experiencing domestic violence should reach out for help, and not downplay the potential threat they face.
“Every survivor’s story and experience is going to be so different and I know we're trying to streamline ways of of helping and people can still fall through the cracks,” Lopez said.