TV Show Profiles Death Of North St. Paul Officer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We are hearing an officer's account of a terrifying shootout inside a North St. Paul apartment for the first time.

North St. Paul Police Officer Rick Crittenden died at the hand of Devon Dockery in 2009 while responding to a domestic call.

Maplewood Police Officer Julie Olson was also injured during a shootout. Olson eventually shot and killed Dockery.

Olson will be featured in a special airing Sunday night on the Investigation Discovery Channel called "In the Line of Fire."

She is interviewed in the special by CBS legal analyst Rikki Klieman, and describes in detail the events of Sept. 7, 2009.

"It kind of brings it all back and makes it real, and, you know, then you miss working with him," Olson said.

She talks about the harrowing moments with Crittenden and the shooter, which is re-enacted by actors in the special.

The two officers walked into the apartment, only to be greeted by Dockery, who had a handful of flaming rags.

Crittenden was hit with the ball of fire, a struggle followed, and Dockery got his hands on Crittenden's gun.

He shot him in the head at point-blank range.

"After he shot Officer Crittenden in the head, he pointed the gun at my head," Olson said in the special.

A shootout between Officer Olson and Dockery followed. More than a dozen shots were fired.

Olson describes in the special how her training kicked in when emotion could have easily taken over.

"Devon Dockery, he was not a person. He became that threat, that silhouette that we use at the range," Olson said. "I sidestep and I shoot. We're trained that you shoot and you move, you shoot and you move."

It is more than a survival story for Olson; it's a way to honor a fallen friend.

"Hopefully people will be able to take from it that we are human, we have families, you know, we're not these bad people," Olson said. "We do have the emotions and maybe something positive will come out of it."

Officer Olson received several medals for courage and valor.

She says she never doubted that she would return to work at her police department.

The "In the Line of Fire" special will air on Investigation Discover Sunday night at 8 p.m.