Officers of St. Paul identified in the Snelling and University shootings

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says four police officers in St. Paul, pistols or rifles were fired during Monday’s incident at Snelling and University Avenues.

They and two other officers who fired non-lethal rounds on Wednesday were identified shooting a man who police say pointed a gun at them.

On Wednesday, BCA said Earl Bennett, 40, remains in hospital in critical but stable condition. According to Minneapolis police, Bennett is suspected of two homicides and two other serious shootings that occurred at a sober living home and homeless camp on Sunday and Monday.

The BCA, which is leading the investigation, identified the officers involved as Officer Chase Robinson and Sgt. Lamichael Shead, who both fired pistols; Officers Shawn Marlowe and Blake Steffen, who both fired rifles; and Officers Austin Borowicz and Peov Suon, who both fired non-lethal rounds.

According to BCA, Robinson and Marlowe have 10 years of law enforcement experience, Shead has eight years, Steffen has four years and Borowicz and Suon have three years.

The officers are on administrative leave, which is standard in such cases.

Shooting at a busy intersection

Policemen St. Paul were called to Pierce Street near University Avenue just before 7:45 p.m. Monday. Several people reported shots being fired in the area.

According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Ramsey County, the officer reported seeing a man identified as Bennett walking south on Snelling Avenue toward University Avenue with a gun in his hand.

“We have no information indicating that any of our officers knew his identity or prior actions prior to meeting him,” said Sgt. Mike Ernster, spokesman for the St. Paul Police Department. Paul.

The officer also reported that Bennett did not drop the gun and continued walking. He was holding a gun to his own head and walking in the middle of the lanes and between the lanes on Snelling Avenue. He stopped in the middle of the light rail tracks. The witness reported that Bennett told police to shoot him.

Officers negotiated with him to put down the gun, but he did not do so, Ernster said.

The officer fired non-lethal rounds at Bennett to make him drop the gun. The complaint states that Bennett pointed a gun at the officers and they began shooting at him.

The 9mm pistol that Bennett dropped after firing did not contain a magazine; the complaint states he had a round of ammunition in the chamber. The gun was tied to shell casings fired in a killing in Minneapolis.

Community advocates on Tuesday called on authorities to immediately release body camera footage.