Police release bodycam footage of homicide suspect's fatal shooting in Belle Plaine
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. — Officials have released body camera footage of the police killing of a homicide suspect in Belle Plaine last week.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating, identified the man St. Paul police killed as 29-year-old Seantrell Murdock. St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said Murdock was a suspect in a Wednesday night homicide in the city's Lowertown neighborhood.
On Tuesday, the St. Paul Police Department released limited body camera footage of the shooting. In a 4 minute and 31 second video posted to YouTube, police offered footage from three officers at the scene, two of whom fired at Murdock. In the footage, police can be heard saying "Hands" to a man in the street, before an officer shouts "Gun" and the shooting starts.
After shooting Murdock, police are heard saying, "Don't move."
While on the ground, Murdock says, "Go ahead, kill me then," and an officer responds, "Nope, no one wants to hurt you."
The officers then place Murdock in handcuffs. While they're cuffing him, Murdock says, "Why did you shoot me?"
Police ask him where he was hit, then call for medical help. Police said he received medical care from officers and medics at the scene, then was flown to Hennepin Healthcare, where he died.
A gun can be seen on the ground next to Murdock in the footage.
The Wednesday night killing of Carrie Kwok was "cold-blooded," Henry said, and "probably one of the most atypical homicides" he's seen in 30 years of police work.
Kwok was fatally shot outside an artists' cooperative to which she belonged. She was working on a project at the time.
Police identified a suspect vehicle in Kwok's killing and got a picture of the driver. According to a warrant, police used a license plate reader to track Murdock to his home in Belle Plaine Thursday morning.
Murdock's family said he leaves behind four kids. They said they're hoping for answers, but will wait for the investigation to play out.
Officers Aaron Bohlen and Lance Christianson, who shot Murdock, have been placed on administrative leave.
Warning signs in Murdock's past
Court records show Murdock's mother brought him to the ER over mental health concerns in January 2023. During that stay, he assaulted staff and said he was "scared of himself," records show. He said he didn't want to harm anyone, but then said he "wanted to kill others."
There was a petition to civilly commit Murdock, but the courts instead handed him a stay of commitment. His case was dismissed in August 2023.
Murdock also had past felony convictions, which legally prohibited him from gun ownership.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.
