St. Peter standoff: Suspect, law enforcement officers identified
Neighbors react after St. Peter shelter-in-place, police incident
Joshua and Hailey Flatt live next door to where an incident involving law enforcement happened in St. Peter Thursday night that forced a shelter-in-place for the neighborhood. The Nicollet County Sheriff's Office lifted the shelter-in-place just after 10:30, and the situation was resolved.
ST. PETER, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities have released more details on a June 18 standoff in St. Peter, Minnesota that left the suspect dead and an officer injured.
New details in St. Peter standoff
What we know:
The suspect who was killed was identified by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office as 21-year-old Jordan Michael Donahue.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified the officer and deputy who used force during the incident. The injured officer, identified as St. Peter Police Officer Austin Buss, also fired his gun during the incident, and has eight years of law enforcement experience. Nicollet County Sgt. Dustin Struckman also fired his gun, and he has 13 years of law enforcement experience.
Both the deputy and officer have been placed on critical incident leave, the BCA said.
What happened before and during the standoff
The backstory:
According to the BCA's investigation, Mankato police officers had been pursuing a vehicle that had fled to St. Peter and stopped on the 2100 block of Bunker Lane.
Donahue was the driver of the vehicle, and he then exited the vehicle and fled into an acquaintance's home. Officers found a woman and a juvenile girl inside the home, and they were escorted outside.
Sgt. Struckman and Officer Buss then entered the home to search for Donahue, the BCA said. As the two were heading upstairs, Donahue fired a shotgun at the law enforcement officers, striking Officer Buss in the arm and ballistic vest.
Both Sgt. Struckman and Officer Buss returned fire and left the home so Officer Buss could get medical care, authorities said.
Authorities then tried for a long period of time to contact Donahue, but he was eventually found dead inside the home with gunshot wounds.
What's next:
The BCA will forward their investigation to the Nicollet County Attorney's Office without recommendation for review.
The Source: A press release from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).