Grand Jury Rules No Charges In Roseville Officer-Involved Shooting
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two Roseville Police officers will not face charges for the February shooting death of John Birkeland, a Grand Jury ruled Thursday.
Birkeland, 52, fatally stabbed a K9 officer in a Feb. 11 incident on the 1600 block of West County Road B. Officers responded to a disturbance at an apartment building and forced their way into a unit. After searching the premises, police found Birkeland hiding in a closet with a kitchen knife. He then stabbed the K9 officer and police shot and killed him.
On Thursday, the Grand Jury determined that Officers Kyle Eckert and John Jorgensen were legally justified in the use of deadly force.
According to a memo released with the Grand Jury's ruling, Birkeland had a lengthy criminal history in Minnesota and North Dakota, including several physical conflicts with police.