Otter Tail shooting suspect, officers identified by BCA
Suspect injured after shooting in Otter Tail County
The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office said its deputies were involved in a shooting at a rest stop that left a suspect injured. No officers were injured.
OTTER TAIL CO., Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota officials have identified the suspect and officer involved in a shooting that left one man injured in Otter Tail County.
Otter Tail County shooting
What we know:
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) says the man involved in the incident was Todd Ole Burris, 36, of Bemidji.
Officers involved
Dig deeper:
The BCA also identified the two officers who used force during the incident:
- Becker County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Luke Sweere, who has 26 years of law enforcement experience.
- Detroit Lakes Police Officer Philip Vaughn discharged his firearm. He has 16 years of law enforcement experience.
Both were said to have discharged their firearms, and have since been placed on critical incident leave.
The backstory:
According to a preliminary investigation, Becker County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched just after 5:30 p.m. on July 9, 2025, to a domestic assault on the 20000 block of Becker County Highway 21. A woman reported that Burris had assaulted her, taken her handgun and slashed her vehicle’s tires before leaving in his car.
The BCA says that Lt. Sweere saw Burris driving in Detroit Lakes and conducted a traffic stop, but he fled.
Lt. Sweere and Officer Vaughn pursued Burris into Otter Tail County, where Burris pulled into a rest stop off Highway 10 in Frazee.
The BCA says that Burris stopped, partially exited his vehicle and pointed a handgun at Lt. Sweere, which led to an exchange of gunfire between Burris and both Lt. Sweere and Officer Vaughn.
What's next:
The officers were wearing body cameras, and BCA agents are reviewing that footage as part of the investigation.
The BCA will present its findings without recommendation to the Otter Tail County Attorney’s Office for review once an investigation is completed.
The Source: Information provided by Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.