Willmar police officer injured, suspect dies in Friday morning incident

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is investigating an incident that happened early this morning during which an officer was seriously injured and a male subject died.

Willmar police officers responded to a 911 call of a domestic incident at a home on the 800 block of Mary Avenue Southeast around 5:40 a.m. Friday.

When officers arrived they encountered the male subject inside the home. At one point during the encounter, an officer sustained multiple knife wounds. The officer was taken by ambulance to Carris Health-Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar and then airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital. The officer is in stable condition and is expected to survive.

A woman who was in the home was also injured by the subject. She was treated at Carris Health-Rice Memorial Hospital and released.

At one point during the encounter one officer discharged a Taser. BCA investigators are determining whether any officers discharged a firearm. It is unknown at this time whether the subject was struck by either a Taser or gunfire.

The subject was pronounced deceased at the scene and will be taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office to determine cause and manner of death and for formal identification.

The BCA will determine whether the incident was captured on body camera video.

The investigation is in its very early stages and BCA agents and crime scene personnel remain at the scene.

The BCA will release additional information, including the names of those involved, once the initial round of interviews with participants and witnesses is completed and family notifications have been made.

(Minnesota BCA)