BCA Investigating Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting In Roseville

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 52-year-old Roseville man is dead and a K-9 officer injured after a shooting in Roseville at around 10 p.m. Wednesday night.

Police responded to an apartment building on County Road B after residents reported a loud disturbance. Officers tried to speak with the man and became concerned for his welfare when he didn't answer.

When police went in, they say the man stabbed their K-9. Officers fired and killed the man.

People who live in the building say everyone pretty much keeps to themselves.

Joe, a 27-year-old who has lived there for a year did not want to appear on camera, said he heard loud screaming coming from a third floor apartment late Wednesday night. When police arrived, he says he heard them call the man by name asking him to open the door.

"They announced themselves and heard a male respond to them, and said something about a robbery," Roseville Police Chief Rick Mathwig said. "The male did not talk anymore and didn't open the door."

Officers say they were then forced to enter the apartment, with K-9 officer Otis and his handler on hand. Once inside, they searched 90 percent of the apartment and found no one.

"While searching a closet just outside a bedroom, the male was inside and had been hiding, and had a large knife in his hand he made a stabbing motion and stabbed the canine in the jaw," Mathwig said.

Officers opened fire, killing the man.

He was no stranger to police -- officers responded five times in 2015 to his apartment, and two times he was taken to the hospital for mental evaluation.

One of the two officers involved in the shooting, John Jorgensen of the K-9 unit, has been down this road before. His former partner, Major, was stabbed and seriously injured while on duty. We followed Major during his rehab, though he ultimately had to be put down.

We also met his replacement, Otis, who was hurt during Wednesday night's incident. Otis is now resting peacefully at home with Officer Jorgensen.

Jorgensen, an 18-year veteran of the force, and Officer Kyle Eckert, a four-year veteran of the force, were the officers involved in the shooting. Both have been place on administrative leave as well as three other officers who witnessed the shooting.

The BCA is heading up the investigation.