Richfield police shooting: Officers, victim ID’d by Minnesota BCA

Richfield police shooting: Suspect dead, officer hurt

Richfield police say an officer was injured during an exchange of gunfire while responding to a car prowler call. The suspect was killed during the incident, and the BCA is investigating. FOX 9’s Bill Keller reports. 

RICHFIELD, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities have released the names of the man and officers involved in a deadly use-of-force incident in Richfield.

Richfield police shooting, suspect chase

What we know:

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man killed as Desaver Brian Hollis, 27, of Plymouth. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has also named the officers involved as Sgt. Mario Leon and Sgt. Kristian Schultz, both of whom are now on critical incident leave.

Dig deeper:

According to the BCA’s preliminary investigation, officers were investigating a reported theft from a vehicle on the 7500 block of Morgan Avenue S., shortly before 3:30 a.m. on April 29. 

At roughly 3:38 a.m., officers located a man matching the description about a block away on the 7500 block of Oliver Avenue S. When they tried to stop him, he ran away, which led to a chase.

The BCA says Sgt. Leon caught up to Hollis and tried to arrest him, with Sgt. Schultz joining and deploying his Taser. During the struggle, Hollis allegedly raised a handgun and fired, hitting Sgt. Leon in the hand.

Both officers then fired their guns, hitting Hollis, the BCA says.

Officers provided medical aid until medics arrived, but Hollis was pronounced dead at the scene. Crime scene investigators recovered a handgun and spent casings.

Richfield officer involved in shooting leaves HCMC

A Richfield police officer who was injured during an exchange of gunfire that left one person dead early Wednesday morning was ceremoniously released from the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) on Thursday. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt also spoke with FOX 9 following the event.

The backstory:

Sgt. Leon has six years of law enforcement experience, while Sgt. Schultz has eight years.

Both used their department-issued firearms, and Sgt. Schultz also used his Taser, according to the BCA.

Body-worn cameras were in use and captured portions of the incident.

What's next:

The Richfield Police Department asked the BCA to investigate the use-of-force. Once finished, the BCA will present its findings to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear what was captured on any bodycams worn by the officers.