Minnesota lawmaker shootings: After shooting spree, police chiefs say beware of door knocks

What if someone claiming to be a police officer knocks?

FOX 9's Mike Manzoni explains what to do if someone claiming to be a police officer knocks on your door.

(FOX 9) - After authorities said a man impersonating a police officer shot two state lawmakers on Saturday, police chiefs said you should exercise caution when someone claiming to be an officer knocks on your door.

Police chiefs say you should look for warning signs

What happened:

Vance Boelter, 57, impersonated a police officer when he went on a shooting spree early Saturday morning, killing State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, according to court documents. 

Boelter dressed as a police officer and wore a tactical vest, court documents said. He also drove what appeared to be an unmarked police SUV, according to court filings. In one instance, the court records say, he knocked on one would-be victim’s door claiming to have a warrant. In that case, the intended target was not home.

What they're saying:

In an interview on FOX 9’s All Day on Monday afternoon, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara warned about the dangers of door knocks. 

"The vehicle he had was not a marked police car, so if there is not a vehicle that you recognize as a marked police car that typically serves your community that’s certainly a warning sign," he said. "If you have not called the police that’s another reason to be suspicious. And then if you cannot clearly tell who’s at the door – you cannot see it – or there’s anything else that makes you think something is wrong with this, you can obviously call 911...."

Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley echoed those recommendations during a news conference in Minneapolis on Monday.

 "You always can call 9-1-1 and verify if the person at your door is a police officer," he said. "If they are a working police officer, they will be connected to a dispatch center that can validate that."