Community shaken by St. Louis Park officer-involved shooting

In what neighbors say is a normally quiet neighborhood, caution tape and police lights were an unwelcome change Saturday night after an officer-involved shooting in St. Louis Park.

“I heard gunshots,” said Arteria Heages, a neighbor. “I heard them right around 5, 5:30, 6 p.m. and I was scared. I didn’t know what was going on.”

Heages says she was outside at the time the gunfire began and immediately ran back in to make sure her family was okay.

“It makes me want to cry,” Heages said. “I don’t know. It’s upsetting, because we’re all close.”

She added that the community consists of some sober living apartment buildings. It’s a place she and other residents say should be safe and supportive.

“We are supposed to be in a supportive living environment,” said Teana Collins, who lives nearby. “So, it’s just scary to see that, to come out here and to see that in my community where I live.”

According to the St. Louis Park Police Department, the shooting happened just after 6 p.m.

Officers were on scene responding to a report of verbal domestic abuse when one man was shot.

Police say that man did die and the officer was put on administrative leave.

“We don’t need to lose anybody,” Collins added. “It’s just too tough of time to be losing anybody right now...too tough of times.”

They are tough times Heages and Collins say are only made more tough when this kind of violence breaks out in their neighborhood.

“The police would be over here and it might be a domestic call or something like that, but this is the first time I’ve seen something like this,” said Collins.

“We’re close with everyone around here,” said Heages. “That’s our family. If we need pots, we just share. We’re close.”