Rochester police officer fatally shoots man experiencing a mental health crisis
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A Rochester police officer shot and killed a man whom police say was experiencing a mental health crisis Wednesday night. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the use of deadly force, according to the city’s police department.
It happened at about 9:30 p.m. at an apartment building on Ashland Drive Northwest.
Rochester Police Chief Jim Franklin said in a news conference Thursday afternoon that officers and a social worker from the city’s crisis response team responded to the residence in northwest Rochester for what he said was “a domestic-related call involving a man reported to be experiencing a mental health crisis and threatening his young children.”
After the officers and social worker spoke with the man, Franklin said the team determined he was an imminent threat to himself and others and he was placed on a 72-hour emergency hold.
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“The officers and social worker spent a significant amount of time attempting to de-escalate the situation and encourage the man to voluntarily comply,” Franklin said. “The man became increasingly agitated, and when officers attempted to take him into custody to transport him to the hospital, a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the man grabbed an officer’s firearm while it was still in the holster, resulting in the weapon discharging; another officer, also engaged in the struggle, then shot the man.”
Paramedics began treating the man, and he was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released. Franklin said no one else was injured during the incident.
The officers involved are on critical incident leave, which is standard procedure for incidents like this. Franklin said body-worn cameras were in use and captured portions of this incident.
“Any loss of life from a use of force incident is a profound tragedy,” Franklin said. “In highly complex and rapidly evolving situations like this, officers are often required to make extremely difficult decisions in moments of intense stress and pressure. We are committed to transparency and will share additional details with the public as they become available through the investigative process.”
Michael Ernster, a BCA spokesperson, told MPR News Thursday that it will send out an update in the coming days after the preliminary investigation is complete. Beyond that, Ernster said they will not comment on the investigation while it is active.
Since 2020, Minnesota state law has required law enforcement agencies to provide data on use-of-force incidents for state data collection, and track whether the shooting resulted in death or serious bodily injury.
The number of these incidents decreased across the state in 2022 and 2023, but they began to increase again in 2024. Last year, there were 26 incidents — six of which resulted in death.
