BCA identifies Duluth man, deputies in deadly use-of-force incident

BCA investigating fatal deputy-involved shooting in Duluth

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said a man was shot and killed by deputiese Tuesday night following a traffic stop in Duluth. FOX 9's Chenue Her reports. 

DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities have identified the man and deputies involved in a deadly use-of-force incident in Duluth on Feb. 10.

Duluth deputy-involved shooting 

What we know:

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) identified the deputies as Sgt. Joshua Berndt and Deputy Matthew Sobczak. Both have extensive law enforcement experience, with Berndt serving for 19 years and Sobczak for 16 years. 

The deputies were placed on critical incident leave by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, a standard procedure following such incidents.

Details of the incident

The backstory:

The BCA's preliminary investigation indicates that deputies attempted to stop Donald Felver III, an erratic driver, on the 7900 block of Grand Avenue just before 9:45 a.m. on Feb. 10. Felver fled, leading to a pursuit that ended with a PIT maneuver by Sgt. Berndt. Gunshots were fired from inside Felver's vehicle at the deputies, prompting them to return fire, resulting in Felver's death. 

Authorities say Felver was the only person in the vehicle, and no deputies were injured. A handgun and spent casings were found in Felver's vehicle, and body-worn cameras captured parts of the incident.

What we don't know:

The BCA will present its findings to the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office without recommendations on charges. The timeline for the completion of the investigation is not specified.