St. Paul grocery store shooting: New details released

Man killed after gunfire with police at St. Paul grocery store

St. Paul police say a man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after exchanging gunfire with authorities at a Cub Foods Friday afternoon.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shared new details in the shooting at Cub Foods in St. Paul, in which police say a man died by suicide after an exchange of gunfire with officers.

St. Paul domestic dispute

The backstory:

Last Friday, police responded around noon for the report of a domestic assault at a home near Maryland Avenue East and Clarence Street in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. When officers arrived, they learned the suspect had fled the home with a child and had possibly went to a nearby Aldi grocery store.

Police found the man at the Aldi store, leading to a confrontation. Investigators say the man assaulted an officer and shots were fired. The man was able to get away and run towards a neighboring Cub Foods store. Police said two people were shot as Bellaphant ran between stores.

At the Cub, police setup a perimeter and were assembling a SWAT team when they say the man turned the gun onto himself.

Minnesota BCA releases new details

What we know:

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension released new information in the shooting.

In the release they identified the man who died by suicide as 32-year-old Tevin Marcel Bellaphant.

They also identified the officers who fired shots as Officer Christopher Leon, Officer Melissa Leistikow, and Sergeant Megan Kosloske.

Timeline:

In its release, the Minnesota BCA also provided a detailed timeline of the shooting. Below is the BCA's narrative of the shooting.

Inside Aldi

• At the Aldi store, Sgt. Kosloske and Officer Leistikow spotted Bellaphant walking in an aisle with a child.
• Officers tried to speak with Bellaphant, when the BCA says Bellaphant shoved Officer Leistikow, and ran past her, leaving behind the child.
• Officer Leistikow and Sgt. Kosloske chased after Bellaphant, when he fell near the cash registers.
• Police say Bellaphant pulled a gun as he got back to his feet and fired shots towards officers. This led to an exchange of gunfire.
• Bellaphant then ran from the store.

Outside the store

• Police say Officer Leon was outside the store in his squad when Bellaphant came running out. Investigators say there was another exchange of gunfire outside the store between Officer Leon and Bellaphant.
• Bellaphant ran towards a nearby cafe and tried to get inside, but people in the restaurant had heard the shots and closed the stores as Bellaphant tried to enter. Police say Bellaphant was able to stick his arm through a crack in the door and fire shots. A man and woman were injured by the gunfire.
• Bellaphant then ran from the cafe towards the Cub Foods. Officer Leon was pursuing from around the building as Bellaphant moved towards the Cub, and Officer Leon fired more shots as Bellaphant ran towards the Cub Foods.

At Cub Foods

• Bellaphant was confronted by officers near the front of the Cub Foods.
• Police evacuated the store as they tried to negotiate with Bellaphant. During these negotiations, Bellaphant was "expressing thoughts of suicide."
• Ultimately, as officers were speaking with him, Bellaphant pulled a gun and took his own life. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigation continues

What's next:

St. Paul police tell FOX 9 they plan to release bodycam video from the incident in the coming days. The Minnesota BCA is reviewing the use of force by officers, which is standard protocol for a officer involved shooting.