Moose Lake officer-involved shooting found 'necessary, justified and authorized by law'

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Carlton County Attorney determined a July officer-involved shooting in Moose Lake, Minn. was “necessary, justified and authorized by law” Tuesday.

According to a release from the Carlton County Attorney’s Office, the BCA has concluded its investigation into the incident and submitted its findings to County Attorney Lauri Ketola. The St. Louis County prosecutor Vern Swanum independently reviewed the case file, too.

The incident occurred July 30, 2019 when police serving a felony warrant at a mobile home park in Moose Lake shot and injured the person around 4:30 p.m.

According to the BCA, law enforcement deployed a flashbang and entered the home. At one point, one member of the team fired their weapon, hitting the subject of the felony warrant.

The victim of the shooting was identified as Shawn Michael Olthoff, 34, of Moose Lake. He is charged with three different felony charges including use of force against an officer, a firearm violation and unlawful firearm possession.

According to a criminal complaint, Olthoff pointed a firearm at an officer who stopped his vehicle.

Law enforcement and paramedics provided medical aid to Olthoff at the scene. He was taken to a hospital in Moose Lake and eventually airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. No one else was injured in the incident.

No dash camera or body camera footage exists in this case.

The BCA identified the officer involved as Moose Lake Sgt. Jason Warnygora, a 14-year veteran of the force.