1 Man Dead, 1 Police Officer Seriously Injured After Domestic Incident In Willmar Friday Morning
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One man died and a police officer was seriously injured after an incident early on Friday morning. Authorities say the police officer is expected to survive.
Willmar police officers received a 911 call and responded to a domestic incident at a home on the 800 block of Mary Avenue Southeast, at 5:40 a.m., according to a news release.
On scene, law enforcement encountered a man and, "at some point a police officer sustained multiple knife wounds." The officer was taken by ambulance to Carris Health-Rice Memorial Hospital -- before being airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital.
Police say the officer is now in stable condition and is expected to survive.
A woman who was in the home was also injured by the suspect. She was treated at Carris Health-Rice Memorial Hospital and has since been released.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says its investigators are working to determine where any officers fired their handguns during the altercation. They've also yet to find out if the incident was captured on any of the officers' body cameras. One officer discharged a taser; but it's unknown whether the suspect was struck, either by the taser or a bullet.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the home; his cause of death will be released by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office.
The BCA says it plans to release more information after families have been notified and witness are interviewed. The investigation remains under investigation.
Debra Klinghagen lives across the street from the home where the domestic incident took place. When she woke up just before 6 a.m. on Friday, she saw the police scene across the street she ran outside to help.
"I saw the young woman next door coming down her driveway," Klinghagen said, "I brought her here to keep her safe, while two law enforcement officers were inside dealing with the situation."
Klinghagen said the woman who ran from the home described the man's behavior.
"He had become combative before she came out of the house but he had a look on his face that scared her, that she hadn't seen before," Klinghagen said.
The woman also told Klinghagen that the man had been using drugs for several days prior. "I would say heavier street drugs," Klinghagen said.
Klinghagen has experience in domestic violence having worked at the Willmar women's shelter for 16 years. She's had to intervene with this couple in the past.
"There's been police visits and there was a situation last fall that occurred that I broke up," Klinghagen said.