St. Paul police release footage of officers shooting Earl Bennett
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Officials have released body camera footage of St. Paul officers shooting a man who police later said was a suspect in two separate shootings in Minneapolis.
Earl Bennett, 40, was hospitalized in critical but stable condition after police shot him on Oct. 28 near Snelling and University avenues. Last week, he was charged with second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection to the armed encounter with officers. He has also been charged with three counts of second-degree murder in connection with a shooting at a Minneapolis homeless encampment, as well as attempted first-degree murder in a shooting at a sober house on the city's south side.
The video released Tuesday by the St. Paul Police Department shows several officers confronting Bennett and firing at him with "less lethal" rounds before shooting him. It's difficult to see Bennett in most of the bodycam footage and unclear whether any of the "less lethal" rounds hit him.
Police also shared footage from "city closed-circuit television cameras," which shows Bennett walking around the intersection with a gun pointed to his head. The footage has no audio, but Bennett appears to be speaking. At one point, Bennett takes the gun away from his head and appears to point it in the direction of the officers, who then fire at him.
The video can be viewed on the department's YouTube page. (WARNING: The content of the video may be disturbing to viewers and shows a man pointing a gun at himself for an extended period of time before being shot. Mental health resources are provided at the end of the story).
The footage appears to match police's initial account of the shooting.
The officers who shot Bennett are on standard administrative leave. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the police shooting.
The criminal complaint states Bennett has eight previous felony convictions: five for first-degree aggravated robberies, one for receiving stolen property, one for fleeing police and one for an attempted escape from custody.
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.
