Warrants: Teacher Shot By Officer Was High On Several Drugs
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- What happened inside a Mankato hotel in the early morning hours of New Year's Eve shocked students and colleagues of Chase Tuseth.
The biology teacher at Takata Learning Center in Shakopee was known as patient and compassionate.
Related: Man Shot, Killed By Mankato Police Was Shakopee Teacher
But search warrants filed by Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators reveal a darker side of Tuseth.
The 21 page search warrant was released by Blue Earth County. It reveals Willard Pierce, a friend of Tuseth's who was drinking with him earlier that evening, told agents that Tuseth had been using LSD, Ecstasy and Adderall.
"In a situation like this, that is a lot of drugs. Your nerves aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing. You have super-human strength," former police officer Mylan Masson said.
Masson has also taught police tactics and use of force. It's been revealed that the Mankato officer who shot Tuseth had initially tried to contain him by using his Taser.
But Masson says Tasers are often ineffective when trying to control a person who's high on drugs.
"You can use the Taser or try to use the Taser, or Mace or something, but there are times it just doesn't work because of the physiology of the person," Masson said.
According to the search warrants, drugs were found in Tuseth's hotel room. An examination of his cellphone indicated that he'd taken two hits of acid.
"All professions are impacted by drug abuse, and we want to try to stop it as much as possible, but as you well know it's a hard thing to stop," Masson said.