BCA identifies Walker police officer who shot man wielding knife in the arm

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Published  August 14, 2025 8:40am CDT
FOX 9

The Brief

    • The Minnesota BCA identified the police officer who shot a man in the arm, who authorities say was welding a knife in Walker, Minn. last week.
    • Officer Kent Cleveland has been placed on leave, which is standard protocol for a shooting.
    • The man who was shot, Dillon Kloehn, is facing assault and attempted robbery charges.

WALKER, Minn. (FOX 9) - State investigators have released the identity of the Walker, Minn. police officer who shot a man that authorities say was wielding a knife and had threatened to kill workers at a Dollar General store last week.

Walker police officer identified

What we know:

The Minnesota BCA identified Officer Kent Cleveland as the officer who fired the shots that subdued the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Dillon Kloehn, outside the Dollar General on Aug. 8.

Officer Cleveland has been placed on leave, which is standard protocol during use-of-force investigations.

Kloehn was briefly hospitalized but is now being held in the Itasca County Jail on charges out of Cass County.

Dig deeper:

Kloehn is charged with first-degree assault against a peace officer, two additional counts of second-degree assault, attempted aggravated robbery, and fleeing a police officer.

Shooting at Dollar General

The backstory:

According to investigators, police and Cass County deputies were called to the Dollar General store in Walker for the report of a man walking around in his boxers, acting erratically, and carrying a knife.

When the police arrived, Officer Cleveland saw the man, later identified as Kloehn, walk into the Dollar General. Speaking with deputies, an employee said Kloehn had tried to jump over the counter at her. The Walker Police Department said that Kloehn had also threatened to kill employees in the store.

Investigators said Officer Cleveland repeatedly told Kloehn to drop the knife but Kloehn refused and instead threatened the officer, threw items at him, and tried to spray him with bug spray.

Officer Cleveland retreated out of the store and Kloehn followed, according to the BCA. At that point, investigators say Kloehn rushed towards Officer Cleveland with the knife. Cleveland fired a single shot, striking Kloehn in the arm. Investigators say Kloehn ran across the roadway after being shot but ultimately surrendered.

What's next:

Per standard procedure, the Minnesota BCA is investigating the shooting by police. Once finished, the case will be submitted to the county attorney for review.

The Source: This story uses information from the Minnesota BCA, the Walker Police Department, and a criminal complaint filed in Cass County.

Crime and Public SafetyMinnesota