St. Kate's University: Officer no longer employee of school
Brent Ahlers, 25, of St. Louis Park, Minnesota was arrested for falsely reporting a crime after he claimed he was shot by a suspicious man while on duty as a security officer at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.
(KMSP) - The public safety officer who shot himself and lied to St. Paul police is no longer an employee of St. Catherine University, the school announced Thursday.
Officer Brent Ahlers was put on paid leave Wednesday while the St. Paul Police conducted their investigation and the University completed a review of the facts.
Ahlers, 25, initially told police he was shot by a suspect in a wooded area on the St. Catherine University campus. According to a release, he admitted to investigators that he accidentally shot himself that night.
Ahlers told investigators he was handling his gun when it accidently discharged, sending a bullet through his shoulder. He called 9-1-1 and was transported to Regions Hospital by Saint Paul fire medics.
While he was being treated at the hospital, police set up a perimeter around campus and conducted "an exhaustive search involving 55 officers, four canines and a Minnesota State Patrol aircraft," according to a release.
St. Catherine University President Becky Roloff statement
I want to update the community on two aspects of the issues raised in connection with the St. Catherine University Department of Public Safety officer who falsely reported having been shot on campus Tuesday night.
First, as you know, Brent Ahlers was put on paid leave September 13 while the St. Paul Police conducted their investigation and the University completed a review of the facts. That status has now changed. He is no longer an employee of the University effective today, September 14.
Second, I want to be clear that St. Catherine University strongly condemns racial discrimination, racial stereotyping, and racial profiling of any kind. The statements attributed to the former employee concerning the race of an alleged suspect are deeply troubling and do not reflect our values.