No charges for Minneapolis officers that shot knife-wielding man in November

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Thursday that two Minneapolis officers will not be charged in the shooting death of a 36-year-old man Nov. 9.

Officers Ryan Keyes and Neal Walsh fired eight shots at Travis Jordan, who was moving toward the officers with a 13.5-inch knife. Freeman's office said he refused repeated orders to drop the weapon.

The shots fired were prompted by a “super aggressive step” Jordan took toward the officers during the incident. The body camera footage was released Thursday as well. It shows Officer Keyes' and Officer Walsh's angles of the incident. 

WHAT HAPPENED

The BCA’s investigation into the incident showed Jordan’s girlfriend told dispatchers that Jordan was threatening suicide at his home on Morgan Avenue North. She had spoken to Jordan on the phone a few minutes earlier and he said he wanted to die.

The two officers were sent to the house and knocked on the door, receiving no response.

One of the officers went to talk to a neighbor while the other walked around to the back of the house and spotted Jordan in the kitchen. He knocked on the door and told Jordan to go to the front door, which he did not.

Jordan was seen on the phone during his time in the house. The investigation showed Jordan said some expletives to the officers.

When in front of the home again, officers heard Jordan yelling, including when he said, “Let’s do this.” It was after this that he walked outside, continuing to say, “Let’s do this.”

Both officers told him to drop the knife he had in his hand and to stay inside. He ignored commands and continued forward saying, “I don’t want to do this.”

Jordan reached the street curb and took a “super aggressive step” toward the officer and they both fired their weapons.

Officers handcuffed him and provided first aid. Jordan was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died.

The BCA’s investigation showed the officers and Jordan were separated by only 12 feet when the shot was fired.

“The evidence shows that at the time he was shot, Mr. Jordan was wielding a large knife, refused numerous commands to drop the knife, refused commands not to come out of the house or approach the officers and, instead, presented the officers with a deadly threat,” according to a new release. 

Freeman said Officers Walsh and Keyes’ use of deadly force was "objectively reasonable in the face of the danger of death or great bodily harm." 

STATEMENT FROM MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF ARRADONDO 

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also released a statement on the release of the body camera footage.