Police fatally shoot suspect who charged at officers with hatchet in Crookston

CROOKSTON — Police here shot a man wielding a hatchet as he charged at officers early Thursday.

The man, whose name has not been released, was transported to RiverView Health Hospital in town where he later died, said Crookston Police Chief Darin Selzler.

Officers encountered the man at about 12:55 a.m. on E. 7th Street and saw he was swinging a hatchet. The man "rapidly approached" police, who initially used less-lethal means to end the situation, the chief said.

As the man continued to advance toward officers, they shot him, the chief said.

Officers administered aid to the man at the scene, Selzler said.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed it was responding to a "use of force" incident in the northwestern Minnesota city and will lead the investigation.

Few other details were immediately released, but Selzler said it was an isolated incident and that there was no concern for public safety. The department requires officers to use body-worn cameras, per policy.

Officials did not immediately confirm whether the officers involved in the shooting were on paid administrative leave, which is standard in fatal police incidents.

Shane Mulvey lives on Broadway about a block north of the crime scene. He was lying in bed around 1 a.m. when he heard the shooting.

"I suddenly heard these bang-bang-bang-bang-bang. I think it was like five shots in a row. And I thought at first, 'That was fireworks,' and then I was like, 'No, that doesn't sound right…that must be a gunshot.' So I looked out there a little bit later and I see cops, everything, ambulances pulled up."

The Irish transplant, whose wife is from Minnesota, said he's lived here for three years.

"It's a bit different, not something I've been particularly used to," he said of the shooting in the normally quiet town while walking his dogs Finnegan and Hercules.

A large swath of the neighborhood on Thursday afternoon remained cordoned at the intersection of North Broadway and E. 7th St. where officials with the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Crookston Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and the BCA were on scene canvassing the area on foot and via drone that circled the gray cloudy skies. The area is mostly residential, but is adjacent to the Polk County Government Center.

Karen Danielson, 63, has lived in Crookston her entire life and her house is kitty-corner to the crime scene. After watching law enforcement work since 1 a.m., she drove to the grocery store and returned with a bag full of cookies around lunchtime.

"They do a lot for us," she said.

As she delivered the treats to Officer Sean Murphy, she told him that she's right across the street. "I'll do anything for you guys, just let me know."

Mayor Dale Stainbrook said he was shocked to hear the news Thursday morning and couldn't believe that he was taking a detour on his drive to work around the crime scene.

"We just don't see that in our community. I just can't believe it happened here. It can happen anywhere," Stainbrook said. "We're considered one of the safest cities in Minnesota. We just don't see this here. I'm at a loss for words and I feel sorry for everybody involved. It's a tragic event here."

Stainbrook, a Crookston resident since 1960, said this is the first use-of-force incident in at least 30 years.

The farming and college community is typically quiet, but some neighbors recalled an incident just last year in the same neighborhood that also drew a large police presence when a man stabbed his mother.

Kevin Corona was convicted in February of attempted murder in the March 2023 stabbing of Angie Gonzalez, 52. He's incarcerated at the state prison in St. Cloud with an anticipated release date of 2036.