Man, 19, fatally shot by police on the Iron Range
Deputies in St. Louis County on Saturday fatally shot a man they were chasing in connection with a shoplifting incident, and who may be linked to a drive-by shooting Friday.
The incident unfolded in Mountain Iron at 12:30 p.m., when police were called to a business on the 8400 block of Enterprise Drive N. on report of a shoplifter.
It was there they made contact with a 19-year-old man from Virginia, Minneosta, who refused police commands and fled on foot.
A perimeter was then set up, and during the search, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says deputies learned that the suspect matched the description of a man wanted in connection with a drive-by shooting in Virginia Friday.
An hour later, the man was found by deputies and K-9 officers in a wooded area.
"At one point, deputies deployed Tasers and eventually two deputies discharged their firearms, striking the man," the sheriff's office said. "The deputies rendered medical aid but emergency responders determined that the man died at the scene."
The press release from the sheriff's office does not mention whether the man was armed.
The deputies involved have been placed on standard administrative leave, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is now investigating, as is typical in cases of police shootings.
The Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert Police departments and the Minnesota State Patrol also assisted in the search.
Note: Some of the details provided in this story are based on the police’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
