Resident Killed At DHS-Operated Group Home In West St. Paul; Another Resident Arrested
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A man is dead after he was stabbed inside a state-run mental health residence.
It happened just before 4 a.m. Monday at the home in the 1500 block of Christensen Avenue in West St. Paul.
Emergency dispatch said the victim was stabbed in the face.
Police and the BCA spent the day going in and out of the home where an investigation is underway to determine what led up to a Department of Human Services group home resident to stab another resident.
"I was pretty surprised to come out and see all the activity," neighbor Emily Brown said. "It's a pretty quiet neighborhood."
A representative for DHS told WCCO there were three residents and one overnight staffer in the home when the crime occurred.
State records show that in 2018, there was an investigation after a vulnerable adult left the facility because she felt unsafe and said she was threatened with a ten-inch knife.
The claim was found unsubstantiated.
Neighbors told WCCO there was some push back about the residence coming to the neighborhood over safety concerns.
Jodi Harpstead, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services released the following statement:
"Ensuring the safety of every resident and staff member in a DHS-operated facility is our top priority. That is why this incident is both rare and tragic for everyone involved. Our hearts go out first to the victim and his family and friends who will be mourning his loss.
Incidents of this severity are extraordinarily unusual at DHS inpatient or residential facilities. We are assisting police in their ongoing investigation and have begun our own internal review of this heartbreaking attack. This is traumatic for the other resident of the home and our staff members, so we are also making sure that they get the care that they need. Under data privacy laws, we cannot provide any further information about our clients or staff."