Charges in deadly Minneapolis LRT incident deferred pending further investigation

MINNEAPOLIS -- Prosecutors in Hennepin County are deferring charges against a man allegedly involved in a deadly light rail train incident pending further investigation.

On Saturday, Minneapolis police say two men were on the platform near 5th Street and 1st Avenue around 1 a.m. Officials believe they got into a fight, and one of the men fell onto the light rail tracks in the path of an oncoming train.

The victim was hit and died at the scene.

The county attorney's office confirmed with WCCO on Thursday that charges in the case are being deferred pending toxicology results, a final autopsy report, and additional investigation from law enforcement.

 "There is clear Metro Transit video of the interaction between the decedent and the subject of the investigation, which begins inside a light rail car and continues on the station platform after they exited the train," the attorney's office said. "The video raises questions and legal issues that must be resolved to ensure any possible charges are supported by sufficient evidence to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in court and that the state is able to overcome possible defenses that could be raised."

Earlier this week, the Hennepin County medical examiner identified the victim as 41-year-old Reginald Eugene Snelling.

The examiner listed the manner of death as a homicide and the cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries and traumatic asphyxia due to collision with rail train following physical altercation."