Hennepin County deputies cleared in deadly Minnetonka shootout
MINNETONKA, Minn. — Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Thursday that deputies were justified in using deadly force during a shootout in Minnetonka earlier this year.
On the morning of April 10, deputies with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office went to a home on the 13000 block of Crestwood Drive East to arrest a person wanted for multiple felonies.
After deputies knocked on the door, 28-year-old Clint Hoyhtya — who was not the subject of the arrest warrant — started shooting with an assault-style rifle, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Deputies returned fire before retreating to set up a perimeter.
Deputy Christopher Heihn and Keith McNamara were injured in the incident.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says Hennepin County deputies Christopher Heihn, Tyler Jacob and Keith McNamara fired their department rifles while deputy Steven Tomasko fired his department handgun.
Police say Hoyhtya was wearing a tactical vest with ballistic plates during the shootout. He died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.
Moriarty says deputies fired their weapons only after Hoyhtya fired directly at them, "demonstrating an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm."
"This was a terrifying incident that left an HCSO deputy hospitalized with a gunshot wound, endangered the lives of several other deputies and community members, and led to the death of Mr. Hoyhtya," Moriarty said. "Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragedy, including the sheriff's deputies, their families, impacted neighbors, and Mr. Hoyhtya's family."
Shortly after the incident, Hoyhtya's father told WCCO he believed his son may have intentionally fired at officers in an attempt to end his life.