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Vigil Held For Columbia Heights Man Fatally Shot By Police

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) -- The family of a man who was shot and killed by officers in Columbia Heights last month is still looking for answers.

An officer from Fridley and an officer from Columbia Heights shot 45-year-old Michael Kirvelay outside of the cleaning business his sister owns on Nov. 24.

At a vigil held in that very spot on Saturday night, his sisters told their accounts of the night their brother died.

Kirvelay's sister Denise Larson described how her brother Michael was acting erratically and paranoid for a couple of weeks before the night he died. She said while her brother had never been diagnosed with any type of mental illness, his recent behavior was concerning to the entire family.

Larson and another sister, Jamie Castilla, said Kirvelay showed up to Castilla's business in Northeast Columbia Heights and told them he thought someone was trying to kill him.

That is when Castilla said she noticed Kirvelay had his BB gun, which she said was not loaded.

Castilla said even though she knew the weapon was not a major threat, she still ran a couple of block to the nearest police station to ask officers to help her brother.

Larson said she did not know if the gun was real or fake that night.

Larson described how Kirvelay grabbed her when police arrived and held his weapon to her back.

"He said 'I'm not going to hurt anybody, I'm alone here, can't you see that?'" Larson said.

Larson said her brother had her in a choke hold and was not cooperating with police orders to get on the ground and let go of his weapon.

Still, the sisters believe police used too much force in shooting Kirvelay in the head.

Larson said the bullet that hit her brother also grazed her knee.

"It was like a burn it was hot," Larson said.

The sisters want the police department to better train officers to deal with people in mental or emotional distress.

"What's wrong with these people?" Castilla said. "They need to have more training and more than just guns," she said.

The sisters and a group that had gathered at the site of the shooting took their concerns to the Columbia Heights police station nearby, where they demanded answers from some on duty officers.

The officers repeatedly told the crowd they were not there when Michael Kirvelay was shot.

After some time the group left, but the sisters remain determined to press authorities to release body camera video from that night.

All 27 officers in Columbia Heights must wear body cameras.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Kirvelay produced a weapon and then refused the officers' calls to show his hands.

That is when they fired.

The two officers involved are Sgt. Erik Johnston of the Columbia Heights Police Department and Officer Shawn Murphy of the Fridley Police Department.

They are both on paid administrative leave as is usual procedure for officer involved shootings.

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