Suspect fatally shot after setting fires, shooting at law enforcement in St. Louis County

BCA: Suspect fatally shot by law enforcement in St. Louis County

The BCA says a suspect died after exchanging gunfire with St. Louis County sheriff's deputies Tuesday morning.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating as a suspect was fatally shot after exchanging gunfire with St. Lous County sheriff's deputies Tuesday morning.

BCA on scene of St. Louis County officer-involved shooting

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is on the scene of an officer-involved shooting Tuesday afternoon in St. Louis County.

Normanna Township incident

The backstory:

St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay says Tuesday’s incident started at about 9:20 a.m. Authorities received a call of a structure fire on Heritage Trail near East Pioneer Road in Normanna Township.

A 911 caller said their neighbor had sprayed a family member with gasoline, and set their home on fire. Another neighbor called shortly after and said the suspect was armed with a rifle. The suspect was identified as a next-door neighbor to the reporting party, and the suspect’s own home was fully engulfed.

Authorities say the suspect also tried to set a second home on fire. A volunteer firefighter arrived on scene and put out both.

Suspect shoots at firefighter

What we know:

Minutes later, firefighters left the area of the first house and reported hearing gunfire, believing he was being shot at. Authorities say a Duluth Township police officer responded to the scene at 9:36 a.m., and was shot at by the suspect but did not return fire.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office got to the scene just before 10 a.m., and the suspect engaged in gunfire with five deputies. All five deputies fired back, fatally shooting the suspect.

No members of law enforcement, neighbors or first responders were injured in the incident. During the investigation, several devices were found on and near the scene. Authorities believe they were designed to fire projectiles at first responders as they approached from the road.

The BCA is taking over as the lead investigator, and the five deputies involved have been placed on standard administrative leave. 

Sherifff Gordon Ramsay reacts

What they're saying:

"I am extremely grateful that no innocent neighbors, no firefighters, and no law enforcement officers were hurt or killed today. This was a chaotic and very dangerous incident. I’ve been to the scene myself, and I could not be more proud of our deputies — they used their training, their experience, and their teamwork to protect the community and safely end this dangerous situation," Ramsay said in a briefing posted to Facebook.